Be My Shelter?
by Sassy26
Summary: When Rachel suffers a horrific experience, who will be the one to pick up the pieces for our favourite leading lady? *WARNING* Rated M for Adult Themes and mentions of rape.
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Obviously I am not Ryan Murphy and have no claim to Glee. If I was and if I did, Puck would appear in every scene with minimal clothing and maybe (finally) get to sing lead with Rachel. Oh, and Kurt would have a boyfriend already :)**_

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Rachel came to slowly, struggling to wake against the thick fuzziness suppressing her consciousness. Rapidly blinked heavy eyelids, her senses attempted to sharpen their focus. A minute later, she managed to open her eyes and found herself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. The light in the room was subdued and as she bunched her fingers into the quilted fabric of the comforter she lay on, her head turned to take stock of her surroundings.

It was a bedroom she didn't recognize. Quite large in area, the walls were painted a dark hunter green, the furniture- a dresser & matching bedside tables to the wooden bed frame, upon which she lay - were sturdy and generic in their simplicity. There were no paintings or pictures, no knick knacks or personal effects that could shed some light on her current location.

Her temple throbbed and she lifted a limp hand to rub soothingly at her forehead. As the dull roar that sounded definitely around her eardrums seemed to diminish, she was assaulted by a number of noises and sensations at once. The muffled sound of music pumping from amps was mingling with laughter from somewhere below, the steady _***thump, thump***_ of the stereo's heavy bass vibrated against the walls.

_**Matt's party.**_

She groaned and shook her head, willing the fog currently containing her awareness to disappear once and for all. A niggling voice at the back of her mind was trying to tell her that something was wrong. Very wrong. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she rose up on shaky elbows. As she looked down at her body, Rachel felt the panic begin to well in her chest as she became aware of three terrifying facts.

1) She was naked from the waist up, with her favourite lilac lace bra pushed up over her small breasts. Her black silk camisole top was discarded to her side, strewn haphazardly over a stray pillow.

2) While she was still wearing the short denim skirt and the black strappy heels she had painstakingly selected with care earlier that evening, the dark material was pooled around her waist, with the matching panties to her bra missing.

3) Confirmation of the horror she was just beginning to grasp, was the painful stabbing between the juncture of her legs and as she jerked upright, the telltale smear of blood on her inner thigh.

Letting out a hysterical sob, Rachel jumped up from the bed only to nearly double over in surprise when her groin twinged in protest at her movements. Swallowing a gasp, she wildly took stock of the room to ensure that there was no immediate danger. Satisfied that she was (for the moment) alone, the brunette righted her clothing with shaking hands. Grabbing for her top, she sprinted on unsteady legs towards a closed door by the window side of the bed that her addled brain (united momentarily with her flight response) assured her must either be a bathroom or a closet.

Miraculously it was an adjourning bathroom and with a second sob bubbling up and escaping chafed lips, she flung the door shut behind her, wasting precious seconds fumbling with the lock. Once secure, there was no recourse but to slide down the wall and crumple to the floor, surrendering to her fright in a burst of hysterical tears.

She was bruised and broken, and at that moment, Rachel was sure she had never felt more alone in her entire life.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Thank you so much for those who took the time to review. In my head I know where this is going and I hope you guys stick with me :)**_

_**PS- if it isn't already abundantly clear - this is AU and will deviate from the actual show's story line, like, alot!**_

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Noah Puckerman was prowling the party restlessly, his eyes flickering over the faces of everybody he came is contact with and dismissing them quickly, deeming them unworthy of both his time and his company. As he went to exit the kitchen, a wasted meathead that he recognized from the hockey team swayed unsteadily toward him, a red plastic cup full of beer clutched in one hand, tipping precariously close to Puck's favorite button down shirt.

"S'up Man?" the douche bag slurred with a wide grin as he stumbled past, spilling the alcohol as he went.

Puck grunted in annoyance and jostled the jock roughly, "Watch it," he growled warningly as he moved past. His hazel eyes intently surveyed the next room which, he discovered, was essentially a makeshift dance floor, filled almost to capacity with drunk teenagers attempting to dance (or grope each other) to some techno shit version of Britney Spears. He snorted in disgust as he leaned against wall, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, as far away from the writhing bodies as he could get.

_**Well this blows,**_ Puck thought as he asked himself, not for the first time since his arrival barely an hour before, what the hell he was doing there. Six months ago he would have been in his element at a party like this. He would have already drunk his way through the better part of a keg, fucked some random, slutty cheerleader (Santana probably), and been rubbing himself up against a number of willing girls on that dance floor, selecting his lucky partner for round number two. And they would have loved it, because he was a fucking _**stud**_.

He ran a hand over his Mohawk and sneered at a pretty redhead who was licking her lips provocatively at him from across the room. He'd had her already, twice actually, and while he appreciated her compact body and the 'more than a handful' she possessed, the chick was all throaty "_Ohhh baby"s_ but a total dud in bed. Or, as was the case of the second hook up, the back of his truck. Chick didn't know how to move her hips, or where to put her hands; she didn't warrant a third invitation aboard the Puckerman express, even if he was in the mood - which he wasn't. Not when all he could focus on these days was a single photograph of a red faced newborn, lying securely wrapped in a plastic hospital crib marked '**Babygirl Fabray'**.

The mayhem of the party seemed to fade into non existence as Puck's mind wandered back a few months.

_Quinn, true to her word of not wanting the Mohawked football player to have anything to do with her or their unborn baby, announced tersely that she had found a nice Christian couple through the pastor at her church, who were eager to adopt her, __**his**__ daughter. _

_The former Cheerio had thrust a thick A4 envelope into his hands in front of his locker scarcely a week before Sectionals, after the scandal the Gleeks had dubbed "Babygate" had broken; it was a term that the rest of the student body had delighted in adopting, which pissed him off to no end._

_He had tried to talk Quinn out of her decision several times throughout the remainder of the school week. As it turned out, he was wasting his breath._

_She had repeated, in that infuriating ice princess tone of hers, that while she had (at one time) considered keeping their daughter, she had come to the conclusion that what was the best course of action was to stick with her current plan of giving the baby up for adoption . Putting her brief indecisiveness down to hormones, Quinn was adamant that she had no intention of venturing into the world of teenage motherhood - not now, with Finn out of the equation. _

_Her life was going to be more than this stupid cow town, and a bastard child to Lima's resident man whore was not going to hold her back from the promise she saw in her future. _

_He had stared at her with something akin to contempt as he listened to her speech (that sounded so well rehearsed he would swear she had practiced it in front of the mirror) as she went on about confession and penance, and how God would forgive her for her one moment of weakness, and at that moment, for the life of him, he could not figure out what he had ever saw in Quinn Fabray._

_His hatred lasted only a second though until her slim hand had reached out to touch his forearm and a sheen of moisture had pooled in her expressive green eyes, her long lashes catching tiny droplets of tears. "I know how you feel about her, how hard you're trying," she had acknowledged with a bow of her golden head as her free hand ghosted over her visible bump. "But don't you want more for her Puck? We can't even take care of ourselves and you think we can raise a baby? Tell me, how are we supposed to do that when I can't even look at you without hating myself for what we did to Finn?"_

_Puck didn't have an answer for her. Quinn smiled at him sadly,_ "_We would never work. She deserves better than that."_

_**She deserves better than you **_is what Puck knew Quinn had wanted to say. The words 'Lima Loser' would forever linger silently between them and he feared it was a tag he would never shake.

_Following his conversation with Quinn, he had locked himself inside his room for the entire weekend, with the papers she had forced upon him sitting in the middle of his desk. Mocking him._

_He stared at them between long sips of scotch straight from the bottle, swiped from the 'emergency' supply above the microwave cupboard that both Puck and his mother pretended he knew nothing about, ignoring the pounding on his bedroom door. His mother would yell from the other side that she was calling the police if he didn't come out, but he knew that her threats were empty._

_Puck's periodic cursing alerted his mother to the fact that her son was actually alive at least back there behind the locked door. Mrs Puckerman was further reassured when he answered the notes his sister pushed under his door (mostly pictures of smiley suns, rainbows and childish scrawls of 'I love you Noah' that had him tearing up) with scribbled 'luv u 2 brat' on scrap paper, that he slipped back to the expectant 9 year old._

_By the time Monday morning had arrived, after virtually no sleep and constant deliberation that saw him toy with the idea of fighting Quinn's decision and look into the prospect of sole custody, he gave in and set about signing his name on the dotted lines indicated with obnoxious fluorescent yellow 'Sign Here' stickers. _

_It had taken Puck more than an hour to pen his initials on all of the pages next to Quinn's neat script, and when the last page was signed he threw down the pen in anger and pushed his way up from the desk. Letting out a stream of strangled expletives, he'd lashed out at the wall, smashing his fist against the plaster repetitively until his knuckles were split and covered in blood and his body weakened, and slumped to the floor. His fury dispersed just as quickly as it had come, leaving only bitterness and the hollow feeling of failure._

_Puck had shown up at school, dishevelled and reeking of booze just as the bell was ringing, signalling. He had stalked up to his baby Momma as she was navigating the halls with Mercedes of all people by her side, and shoved the offending papers back at her._

_After allowing himself one last longing glance at her swollen stomach, he turned burning eyes back to her face. Ignoring the grateful gaze she was flashing him, he snarled that she might want to cut back on the milk duds because she was the size of a fucking whale._

_Puck almost smirked at the look of shock and fury that settled over the pregnant blondes' features as he spun on his heel and retraced his path back to the parking lot. _

_It was the last words he had spoken to her._

_She had dropped out of McKinley soon after. The elder Fabray daughter, who had been kept in the dark about her little sister's predicament up until that point, had shown up for Thanksgiving with her rich husband in tow. After break, Puck had heard through the Gleek-vine that they had taken Quinn back with them to Long Island and had secured her attendance at an exclusive private girl's school there once the baby had been delivered and signed over to the adoptive parents._

That had been three months ago.

An envelope addressed to him with a New York State postscript had arrived a few week ago, its contents- a single colour photograph.

On the back of the picture were the words_ "They called her Missy."_

With an ache in his chest, Puck had thought that 'Missy' was the most ridiculous name he'd ever heard. Were the adoptive parents just asking for his little girl to grow up and dance around a pole for a living? The envelope was now tucked in the drawer of his night stand; he hadn't been able to look at the image since.


	3. Chapter 3

**_AN: Again, thank you so much for your reviews. Apologies if I haven't got around to directly replying to you but I really do appreciate the feedback. I've written this chapter during the grave yard shift at work (clearly I am soooo dedicated to my job) so please forgive me for any stupid little errors._**

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Rachel didn't know how long she had spent huddled on the floor of the stark white bathroom, crying brokenly into a soft handtowel. The cold tiles stuck to the back of her bare thighs as she sat, her shoulders shaking violently with the force of her sobs. What felt like hours later, the tears had dried on her face and she leant back against the bathroom door, her breaths hitching painfully in her chest.

"Why can't I remember?" She questioned aloud, her mind struggling to rewind. Wincing as her words echoed dimly around the empty space, she willed herself to focus.

_Kurt had picked her up from her house earlier that evening with Mercedes seated in the passenger side bouncing up and down in excitement, eager for the night to begin. _

_Rachel's fathers were indulging in their weekly date night, and with no parental units in sight, Kurt had taken great pleasure in demoralizing the petite brunette's attire until she grudgingly agreed to change. He sent her back into the house twice. The first time to exchange the pink pleated skirt she had on for the trendier denim one he had forced her to purchase during a mall excursion a few weeks before. The return trip was to switch her black sequined ballet flats for something with height and "sassyness"._

_The three friends arrived together swallowing nervous giggles, parting ways soon after to 'mingle'. Rachel had greeted Matt and Mike and spent an enjoyable half hour watching the two footballers challenge each other to a dance off, laughing and clapping at their antics. When an argument broke out between them over whose style was more 'bitchin' they pressed Rachel for her opinion. She decorously insisted she couldn't possibly declare a winner when they were both so talented and enthusiastic, much to their vexation, and she watched in amusement as they decided to switch to an activity where a clear winner could be crowned- arm wrestling._

_Glancing around, she saw how the number of revellers had almost tripled in the short time since her arrival. Rachel sighed with happiness and assured Artie and Tina, who joined the trio a short while later, that she was indeed having a fantastic time._

Rachel pulled herself up from the tiled floor and leaned against the sink, her eyes catching sight of her reflection in the mirror. She looked a fright. Her usually olive complexion was blotchy; her eyes red and puffy, with mascara and eyeliner smudged down her cheeks. Smoothing a hand over the mess that was her long dark hair, she attempted to untangle a particularly stubborn knot with her fingers with limited success.

Bracing her arms against the sink, it was then Rachel noticed the swelling and angry red marks around her wrists. Raising one arm up for closer inspection she could see the faintest beginning of bruises forming into definite finger marks.

Clamping down on a fresh wave of tears she slumped forward and a minute later ran the faucet until the water was warm, dampening the hand towel beneath it. When saturated, Rachel gave it a light squeeze and pressed the material to her face, breathing in the moist fabric before wiping at her eyes and face, until all traces of make up were removed. Biting her lip, she hesitantly lowered the washcloth under her skirt and proceeded to wipe gently between her thighs. Again, she ran the washcloth under the running water and watched dazedly as the bright red stains rinsed out of the white cloth.

_After watching Mike and Matt switch to thumb wars and chatting awhile to Tina and Artie, Rachel excused herself from the group. Weaving in and around clusters of people, she craned her neck in search of Finn whom Mike had assured her 'was around'. __She hadn't had a chance to speak to Finn all week, due to their conflicting finals schedules, and she was anxious to catch up with him before Monday which marked the last week of school before Summer Vacation._

_She grinned when she spotted his tall frame through the arch way of the dining room. __He seemed to be chatting animatedly with someone, and as she drew closer she discovered an astonishingly beautiful blonde, in a barely there scarlet mini dress, gazing up at the Quarterback in what Rachel interpreted as simpering fascination. _

_She halted in her steps and felt her smile slip. Finn was oblivious to her presence as he leaned down to whisper something in his companions' ear. The girl giggled and nodded, allowing herself to be led away in the opposite direction from where Rachel stood, rooted to her spot. __As the duo disappeared from her view, Rachel fled to the kitchen. Thankfully the kegs had been set up outside, so there were only a handful of people milling about the kitchen, paying no mind to her. Desperately needing a minute to regroup after what she had just witnessed, she fought back the onset of disappointed tears and tugged on the ends of her brunette strands, sighing heavily._

_**'Why was it always a blonde?'**_

_Crossing to the fridge she selected a grape flavoured soda and poured the contents into a plastic cup- she abhorred drinking from aluminium cans. Startled by a commotion in the yard, Rachel had set down her cup and crossed to the window to witness a scuffle breaking out between several youths. A few of the people around her had whooped in excitement and hurried out to get a front row viewing of the altercation. __After ascertaining that there was no one from the Glee club involved, she had returned to the kitchen counter and reclaimed her beverage._

**Someone must have slipped something into her drink.**

Her head shot up and she once again stared at her reflection, her eyes wide. That must be it. From that point, her memory was blank.

As shock began to set back in she felt her body start to quiver. She had to leave; bury herself under the covers in the security of her own bedroom, and disconnect herself from the turmoil threatening to overcome her.

Rachel reached for her phone before discovering with dismay that the familiar weight of her blackberry was absent. There were no pockets in her outfit. Having forgone bringing a clutch to the party, she recalled handing her phone to Mercedes for safe keeping the moment they had arrived. After cursing her stupidity, Rachel came to the sickening realisation that there would be no knight in shining armour rushing to her rescue. The damage here was done. Ultimately, in order to escape this nightmare, there was no avoiding having to rejoin the party downstairs. Just the thought of having to vacate the sanctuary the bathroom provided made her palms go clammy and her breaths quicken in panic.

There was almost a hundred people in attendance and the fact that she had no recollection of her attack meant that she could come in contact with the person who had violated her and be none the wiser. That vulnerability made her stomach drop and she fought the pressing urge to vomit.

Rubbing at the goose bumps on her arms, she tried to listen to a cool, collected part of her subconscious that was telling her that she would be fine, and would surely locate one of her friends within moments.

'_**Nothing is going to happen to you'**_ the voice was soothingly trying to assure her. But the other voice, the one of the terrified teenage girl who had just had her virginity stolen from her in the most barbaric fashion, was protesting. Closing her eyes against, she waged an internal battle. In a moment of clarity amongst the suffocating emotions vying for control over her ravaged person, Rachel just knew she had to get out of there.

Before she could consciously grasp her decision, her fingers had unlocked the bathroom door and in short strides she had exited both the en suite, and then the bedroom.

Rachel reached the top of the staircase, clutching at the wall for support with one hand while the other tugged down at the hem of her skirt, conscious of the fact that she was uncomfortably pantyless. Gingerly she descended the steps, her pace quickening to overtake a handful of rowdy freshman that were perched midway down the staircase, hanging over the banister and shouting to people below.

Finally reaching the bottom of the landing, her heel caught on the last step, sending her tumbling forward into a solid mass. A strong arm hooked around her waist, hauling her gently against a warm, muscular chest. Stiffening in alarm, the scream she was preparing to unleash died on her lips when a familiar voice murmured, "Hey there Berry" into her ear.

Rachel glanced up, and, as her watery gaze met arresting hazel, her body went weak with relief.

"Noah."


	4. Chapter 4

**_AN: So, I'm a loser. My computer did an automatic update a I was writing Chapter 4 and of course I was so caught up in Rachel and Puck that I forgot to save and the whole freaking thing was deleted. *Cries*. Soooo, we're going to take a little detour; This chapter is brought to you by Scrapped Chapter 3A, Draft 1 & 2 that I mashed together while I go off and desperately try and recreate Rachels "rescue" by Puck that I warn you now probably will not pan out how you think. Do you trust me?_**

**_Once again, your reviews are what has kept me tapping away. You're so brilliant! A big thank you in particular to Alley83, sweetcaroline1986, Hips & Taya8989 to name just a few. Oh and to my adorable boy toy Gaz who has been scrunching his face up for the last week, diligently reading the chapters I send him and asking: "Who IS this Puck dude? Do you think I could take him?" No, you most definitely could not but I love that you think you should :P I see a Glee Marathon in your future sweets :)_**

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Puck pushed his thoughts aside as he heard his last name being shouted, the sound carrying as the song that was playing faded out, and the familiar intro of Miley Cyrus' Party in the USA belt out of multiple speakers. Not that he listened to that musical waste, but his sister was a freak for whatever teeny bopping crap was polluting the charts, and this particular song was so overplayed in his household that he had intended to burn the fucking CD. Unfortunately his mother had caught him in the act and threatened his beloved Zeppelin collection. That was the end of that.

"Oi, Puckerman!" He saw Matt gesturing him over from where he sat between Mercedes and Tina, with Artie close by rocking his wheelchair back and forth to the music.

Puck indicated by a tipping wrist movement to his mouth, that he was getting a drink. This melancholy shit over Quinn and the baby was really bringing him down and he was in desperate need of a little Budweiser, or a lot. Matt nodded his understanding and gave a thumbs up before guffawing loudly at one of Arties spun on one wheel and demonstrated his more elaborate dance moves. Puck watched their interaction for a moment before turning and heading back through the dining room.

_After Sectionals, things had been tense between the glee clubbers as they tried to divvy up and take sides in the Babygate drama._

_Matt & Mike were too easy going to be drawn into the Finn vs Puck showdown, and while he had been subjected to the drawn out "Duuuuuuuude" and disapproving headshake when the news had broken, the guys were still his team mates and assured him that things between them were 'sweet bro'._

_Santana, well she was always looking for a new reason to hate his guts, so she stood firmly at Quinns side and snarled as many insults she could his way. The Cheerio had ensured he was black listed from any hanky panky with the girls on the squad, and whilst admittedly the number of janitor closet trysts had dwindled, the warming weather and a few of the more 'appreciative' clientele of his pool business ensured he didn't submit to an acute case of blue balls._

_Puck was amused at the lengths Santana was going in an effort to sully his already tarnished reputation. Considering the sexts that she was still regularly sending his way, Puck was smug in the knowledge she was undeniably aware of his sexual prowess and pining for a repeat, but he never bothered to reply to her messages; a move that infuriated the Latina, who would confront him at the very next opportunity to inform him that she had mistakenly sent them to the wrong phone._

_He saw the growing awkward tension between Brittany and Santana and guessed her exclusive muff diving wasn't getting her rocks off as thoroughly and satisfyingly as a Puckerman session did. He almost felt sorry for his ex girlfriend, but then he remembered credit scores and some of the more vicious rumours on the bathroom walls of the girl's rest rooms, and the sympathy faded pretty quickly._

_The original Gleeks had tried to weigh up their loyalties but the task had proven too difficult. Finn was without a doubt the victim in their little soap opera, and should ultimatums been thrown down, the lead tenor would clearly be basking in full support. _

_But then Berry had dragged him to the choir room where she had rallied her jolly band of misfits, to remind them that whilst Puck and Quinns faux par was monumental, they were young and stupid. She pointed out that Puck__** had**__ been trying to take responsibility for both Quinn and the baby from the start, and had endeavoured to prove to the former cheerleader that he could be a good dad._

_When Rachel had glanced at her friends and seen the looks of scepticism over Pucks 'noble intentions', she had none so gently reminded them that slushie facials and dumpster trips had ceased because of him, and that they may want to attempt to keep the status quo between glee club and the self proclaimed bad ass if they wished to keep it that way._

_That logic saw an almost immediate thaw in relations between Puck and the group, and had he not been busy trying to figure out what exactly a faux pas was, he might have actually thanked her for the intervention. What the hell was up with all the latin?_

_So the Gleeks had tried to ignore the ever brooding tension between the two former best friends and the fact that Finn was unable to even look in Quinns general direction during practice. Puck meanwhile had taken up his new favourite hobby of staring at the petite brunette as she continually undermined Mr Shue's coaching techniques and gallantly tried to whip them in shape for Regionals. __The club had ended up placing 2__nd__ behind Vocal Adrenaline, and though they were disappointed not making Nationals, it was a feat they were proud of given the fact that Quinns sudden departure left them scrambling to find a fill in at the last moment._

_Rachel had wasted no time in proposing songs and routines for the next years competition where she was they would finally triumph over their ostentatious rivals, whose vocals were demonstrably substandard to theirs. (Her words, not his)_

She was something else that Berry, Puck mused to himself as he wandered in search of the beverage he promised himself. Sure she talked a mile a minute and staged dramatic diva storm outs when she didn't get her way, but if you tuned out her incessant high pitched babble (which he did, frequently), the kindness of her actions and the heartfelt intent behind them never failed to blow him away.

_Having been on the receiving end of her compassion for the last few months had not been entirely sucky. In fact, the tentative friendship Rachel extended to him even had its little perks. Like when he plopped down next to her at lunch complaining loudly about the congealed garbage the cafeteria was trying to pass off as food, she would absently push half a PB & J sandwiches in his direction, her attention never straying from whatever conversation she would be immersed in with the other Gleeks. _

_He would munch away in content and then proceed to inch his fingers toward her pink plastic lunch box, in the hopes of stealing whatever snacks she had packed for herself that day. Usually she would catch his less than stealthy attempts, and slap his hand away before giving in with a long suffering sigh and handing him whatever treat she had yet to eat. Every now and then, if she was really distracted, he managed to liberate the goody and have it halfway in his mouth before she turned and busted him in the act. Rachel would fix him with a glare, which wouldn't have nearly enough rage behind it to be really authentic, and he would grin innocently and offer her a sip of his cherry slushie. She would wrinkle her nose at the sight of his half chewed straw and toss her head and they would both pretend that there wasn't the beginnings of a soft smile playing at her lips._

_It became a routine he looked forward to, telling himself it was only because of the sour look Finn got on the rare occasion he opted to eat at the Glee table and was forced to sit through Puck & Rachel banter, and not because he noticed Rachel now packed an additional sandwich and regular brought hostess cupcakes after Puck mentioned one day in passing that they were 'the fucking shit!'. _

Beer in hand, Puck leant against the kitchen bench and wondered where Berry was at. He knew she was planning to attend, having heard her say as much the day before when Matt had stopped their Glee captain in the passage at school to invite her to tonight's festivities, celebrating the end of finals and the fact that Summer Vacation was only a week away. Pucks locker was conveniently located just across the hall from where Matt had stopped her, so he could hear the whole exchange as he carelessly stuffed books in his locker.

_Puck smirked at the look of astonishment that crossed Rachel's face as she gaped at Matt before responding with far too much enthusiasm. "Why thank you Matthew. I should be honoured to attend your little soirée and appreciate you extending the invitation." __Matt had scratched the back of his head awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable with Berry's uncontained delight at being included and grinned at her before replying with a "Cool, see you there." __Rachel just nodded and smiled as the other boy bounced away, turning to Puck with an eyebrow raised in askance when he chuckled and slammed his locker shut. "My fathers will want to know that the party is chaperoned. Do you think it proper etiquette for them to contact Matthew's parents tonight, or will it be acceptable for them to converse when they drop me off tomorrow evening?" She inquired seriously, falling into step with him with her books clutched to her chest as the second bell rang overhead._

"_Berry, Berry, Berry." He had chanted with a smirk, throwing his arm over her shoulders and steering her toward the afternoon history class they shared. "When are you going to morph out of this middle aged phase you've got going on?" He pretended to shudder in disgust as he looked down at her black and yellow checked cardigan, "Try acting like a teenager for once so I can coach you in some of the more enjoyable acts of badassness."_

"_Badassness is not a word." She had retorted, ignoring both his dig at her wardrobe and flippant sexual innuendo, allowing her lips to lift into a small smile at his snort of impatience. _

_They paused a few feet outside their destination and he stepped towards her, leaning his face closer to hers to impart valuable "words of wisdom'. "Listen up man: Matt's parents are away this weekend and the only chaperone is his 21 year old shit turd of a brother, home from college now that Summer is FINALLY fucking upon us." He paused to roll his eyes heavenward in appreciation. "Now if you were __**normal,**__ you would tell your parents you're staying over at Tina's or Kurt's, show up hopefully wearing something more flattering that your grandmas sweater, AND," he emphasized the word with a raise of his eyebrow, "Without subjecting us all to a lecture on the number of brain cells we're killing off, you'd appreciate the fine art of a perfect keg tapping and maybe sip a beer or two."_

_When Puck had finished, he could see she was contemplating his advice by the thoughtful way she was worrying her lip with the scrape of her teeth. Decided his work there was done, he gave her a parting wink and swaggered off down the hall._

"_Wait Noah!" she called after him in exasperation. "Have you forgotten that this is your fifth period class too?" He had tossed another smirk over his shoulder, right before he turned the corner out of her sight. "Is it Berry? Is it really?"_

He hadn't arrived until close to 10 o'clock, since his mother was working late and he was on little sister watch, but that was close to an hour ago and he hadn't locked eyes on the brunette at all. He had seen Santana, Brittany and Mike amongst a bunch of jocks in the yard clapping encouragingly at Matt's older brother who was on his third beer bong. And with the rest of the glee kids by the dance floor, that left Finn, Kurt and Rachel unaccounted for.

Abandoning his untouched beer, Puck walked a lap of the ground floor area and a few minutes later, thudded downstairs to the converted basement and saw Kurt on the fringe of a large group of people who were hollering and cheering, a peculiar look on his face. Making his way over, the wall of bodies parted for a moment so Puck could catch a glimpse of Finn splayed out on the worn couch, making out with a slim blonde who was straddling his lap in a tight red dress that left little to the imagination, both oblivious to the crowd that surrounded them.

He stared at his former best friend in surprise, before shaking his head.

'_**So the great Berry/Finn epic romance is still just a pipedream' **_he thought, attempting to ignore the satisfaction he felt at that realisation.

He tapped Kurt on his shoulder to gain the fashionable soprano's attention. "Yo Hummel, you seen Berry?" Kurt shook his head, the tart look on his face replaced with a giant "O" of comprehension as he glanced back at Finn.

"Not since Little Red Riding Slut hooked her talons into our resident golden boy here." He sniped bitchily with a toss of his head.

"Which was how long ago?" Puck questioned impatiently watching as Kurt pulled out his iPhone and scrunched his nose. "9.30 I guess?" the smaller boy hazarded a guess before his attention once more strayed to the spectacle in front of them. "Sweet Prada, how much longer can they go on?"

Puck too couldn't resist a final glance at the display, before rolling his eyes.

"For Hudson, it should have ended 5 minutes after it started." He quipped, slapping Kurt on the shoulder again. "Thanks Beyonce."

Taking the stairs two at a time, he re-entered the living area and, manoeuvring around dancing teens, slipped through another entry way only to smack straight into a slight frame stumbling off the staircase from the second story. Reaching out to catch the girl as she pitched forward, he grinned in delight as he recognised the object of his pursuit.

_Berry._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Stiffening in alarm, the scream she was preparing to unleash died on her lips when a familiar voice murmured, "Hey there Berry" into her ear.**_

_**Rachel glanced up, and, as her watery gaze met arresting hazel, her body went weak with relief.**_

**"_Noah."_**

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* * *

Puck felt her entire body go limp in his arms and as he glanced down to her upturned face he felt his smirk slip, to be replaced by a concerned frown. Her eyes were swollen and blood shot and it was apparent from the rawness of her skin that she had been crying, and for some time.

His hand splayed on her lower back, pressing her closer to his body in an unconsciously protective manner. He reached up to stroke his thumb along her cheek before brushing an errant strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear with gentle fingers.

"What happened?" Puck demanded huskily, startled when his tone came out softer than he had imagined.

Her eyes, which had fluttered shut at his touch, remained tightly closed as she shook her head slightly, a single tear making its track down her cheek. He rubbed his hand against her face a second time, brushing the offending drop away and before he could comprehend what he was doing, he had pressed his lips against her temple.

Rachel felt the kiss on her hairline and she choked on a sob, pressing her face into his chest, her tiny hands splayed high on his washboard stomach.

Her body's emotional responses were running on high alert, her thoughts racing so fast, jumbling the words she wanted to say with the tears that were threatening to suffocate her. She just kept her eyes closed and leant into his warmth trying to clamp down on a sudden onset of dizziness.

Feeling her knees buckle, she clutched at the soft material of his shirt but needn't have worried because he had her tucked into a secure hold, her body easily absorbed in his embrace.

She had turned her ear to rest over his heart and as she felt the steady vibration in her ear she worked on measuring her breathing. "Rachel?" Her name rumbled in his chest a few minutes later, and reluctantly she drew back, adjusting her stance so that she was supporting her own weight. Immediately she felt the loss of contact, as his arms let her go.

She opened her mouth and a million things wanted to pour out but it seemed the only thing her brain could settle on was "I want to go home."

Her voice was tiny, so unlike the formidable weapon she wielded when belting out a musical number or berating him for his less than perfect attendance record, that he had to strain his ears to hear her.

For the short time she was in Pucks arms, Rachel had been blanketed in a cocoon of nothingness where nobody could touch her. And now, even though she knew that as long he was standing beside her no further harm would befall her, the security had been stripped away and she was assaulted by the sounds and smell of the party around them.

She felt vulnerable and exposed. It was just her imagination she was sure, but it felt like the eyes of everyone in attendance were raking over her, making her skin crawl.

The brunette looked over his shoulder to see the room littered with boisterous teens and her earlier notion of being unknowingly confronted with her attacker was causing the nausea to return in full force.

Puck watched the range of emotions play out on her features and as her skin seemed to tinge green he looked behind him to see what had claimed her attention to and Finn stumble into the room, with his bimbo clutching at his arm.

Putting two and two together, for Puck the pieces seemed to fall into place.

_**So that's why she was so upset**_**. **Obviously she had witnessed Finns little show downstairs and had been crying her eyes out ever since.

He turned back to Rachel and their gazes locked. His gut twisted at the undiluted pain and confusion swirling in her chocolate depths and his fingers flexed in anger.

_**Damn Finn Hudson to hell. He'd been stringing Rachel along all year, with his secret kisses and hidden agendas. And now that Quinn was gone, Rachel was still cast on the sidelines! What the fuck was wrong with that guy?**_

"Come on Berry." He said gruffly, running a hand through his Mohawk. "I'll take you home."

Without another word he tucked her small hand into his larger one and led her out of the room, giving Finn a wide berth so as not to tempt his twitching fists. Luckily, with so many people to navigate around, Pucks strides were short, enabling her to walk closely behind him. She stared resolutely at the thick stripe of hair down the middle of his scalp her free hand dipping slightly under the back of his shirt for her fingers to thread though a belt loop on his jeans.

With so many people congregated in the front rooms of the house, Puck lead her out through the kitchen door to the backyard where they could scoot out a side gate to the street. Ignoring the enthusiastic greetings from a drunken Mike who was still holding court with Santana, Brittany and about 30 other people by the kegs Puck struggled to put a label on the sudden flare of anger he had felt inside.

He quickened his pace as they walked down the drive and Rachel winced as she struggled to lengthen her steps, aggravating her tender muscles.

Earlier, he had parked his truck just halfway down the street so in no time at all he had deposited her at the passenger side after unlocking the door with jerky movements. He didn't pause to help her into the cabin, so she bit her lip and struggled to pull herself up onto the worn leather seat. Once she was fastened into her seat belt, Rachel let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding and leant heavily into the door, her forehead touching the cool expanse of glass. She just had to hang on for a few more minutes and then she'd be home.

The truck rumbled loudly to life as Puck turned the ignition, and with a quick cursory look into his mirrors he had pulled out from the curb. They had driven a few miles in silence before he glanced over at her, his sharp gaze not missing the protective way her arms were wrapped around her self, her knees pressed tightly together, angled towards the door.

The irritation he had been harbouring since their departure faded and as he coasted to a stop at the next red light, he reached over the back of the bench seat to the small storage space behind; missing the way Rachel had involuntarily flinched at his sudden movement. Retrieving a dark blue, zip up hooded sweatshirt, Puck gave it a cursory sniff and after deeming it not completely putrid, handed it to the silent girl who accepted the garment after only a second's hesitation.

'Thank you." Her soft words were in such complete contrast to that of the Rachel Berry he was accustomed to, that he tapped the steering wheel almost nervously with the tips of his fingers until the lights changed. His fixed his eyes straight ahead and he felt her shuffle in her seat to push her arms through the long sleeves.

In the short week that they had dated, and on the rare occasions that she had coerced a ride home with him since they had established their little quasi friendship of sorts, there had not been a blissful moment of silence in the cab of his truck. If she wasn't prattling on about Broadway, Glee, or how completely unfair it was that her fathers' were expecting her to pay part of their home internet bill _"__**As if**__ the continual exceeding of our bandwidth is caused __solely__ by my Myspace videos and ITunes downloads!." _she was poking around his glove box in disgust, giving him a running commentary as she inspected his CD's, on how appalling his taste in music was.

Needless to say, her current muted silence was giving him the creeps and he found himself almost hoping for an onset of Berry's verbal diarrhea.

"I don't get you sometimes.' His statement echoed loudly around the compartment, startling Rachel out of her stupor. "Excuse me?" she asked in dazed bewilderment as she attempted to haul herself out of unpleasant thoughts to focus on the mohawked boy beside her.

In the dim light of the vehicle she could see the rigid set of his jaw and could feel the tension in the way his large frame sat tautly behind the wheel as he drove. She wrapped the sides of his sweater tighter around her torso, the cloth swamping her tiny frame.

"You're like, a card carrying member of the Finn Hudson fan club." Puck spat annoyed, "Its like, ohhh Finn you're so dreamy and freakishly tall, let me follow you around with crazy bedroom eyes and pretend it doesn't hurt me when you stomp all over my feelings and play pattycake with skanky assed girls"

She might have found the absurdity of his comment amusing had she been less distracted trying to ignore the constant replay of the last hour. "You are aware of how ridiculous you sound?" she questioned finally, not really wanting to delve into the conversation he seemed determine to steer them in. Finn Hudson and his inability or unwillingness to venture beyond the friendship line with her was not something Rachel wished to discuss with Noah, even if she was in a completely healthy frame of mind and Puck wasn't her 'sort of' ex-boyfriend.

_Rachel was a smart girl, her GPA spoke for itself, but she wasn't oblivious or unashamed of the fact that she let Finn walk over her and let his lopsided grin waive his accountability for the hurt he caused. Their bowling date and the way in which he had used her feelings for him to suit his own agenda, had constantly weighed heavy on her mind these last few months._

_Although the consequences of Pucks betrayal with Quinn was deemed far more serious than Finn's emotional infidelity with Rachel, it was no less real to her, and she suspected her resolve to befriend Puck as the school year drew to a close was because she couldn't stand the fact that this boy (who had given up football and taken a slushie in the face because of his loyalty to the club that embodied all that was Rachel Berry) was being ostracized for a mistake that she was discomfited to acknowledge she would have forgiven Finn for without too much reluctance._

She realized Puck was still ranting and tuned back in to hear: "..must have a cherry cola flavoured dick or something by the way you girls, _and Kurt_, lap it up, because its sure as hell not his smarts or his hand-eye coordination."

She sighed inaudibly at his crudeness. 'What do you want me to say Noah?" She asked quietly, deciding she was strangely thankful for the distraction his conversation was providing. Returning her gaze returning to her window, she realized that they had just turned onto her street.

"I want you to _admit_ that you're bat shit crazy for letting some douche with a brain IQ of about minus 12 get you so outta wack over him and you're not going to stand for it."

Puck surprised himself with the honesty in his reply. He_ did_ want Berry to get over her school girl crush because it fucking sucked to have her mooning over Finn the first time he dated her. And, not that he was _planning_ on taking up with the brunette again, but if he _happened _to find his lips locked on hers any time in the near future, it would be freaking fantastic if he was sure she wasn't picturing the Frankenteen in Puck's place.

Pulling into her driveway, his headlights illuminated the back of her Daddy's Lincoln, a sign that her fathers had returned earlier than expected from their night out. As Puck shifted into park and killed the engine the interior light flickering on, causing her to blink rapidly against the sudden brightness.

Puck turned in his seat to face her expectantly, and for a moment she was clueless as to why he was looking at her that way. "Out of wack?" she repeated in confusion, recalling the last piece of his dialogue.

He gestured at her impatiently. "Outta wack. You can't have a melt down every time the guy sucks face with some peroxided slut, Berry. You're better than that."

_Oh._

It was apparent the interaction she had observed between Finn and the nameless girl that evening had progressed past the conversation stage and Puck could attest to it, assuming that was the reason for her 'melt down'.

"Finn's actions are of no consequence to me." She said finally, gazing longingly at the front door to her house, illuminated by the porch light.

"Which means what?" he enquired sarcastically, his eyebrow arching. "That you pretend you didn't think there was something going on between you? That it wasn't a slap in the face to be passed over for the second coming of Quinn? I mean this one isn't even a real blonde."

She shrugged her shoulders indifferently, "Finn made it clear months ago that pursuing a relationship with me is not something he wished to explore. If I have chosen to ignore his forewarning, and mislead myself into reading something more into his intentions, then the fault is my own."

Her weary tone annoyed him and he snorted at her thinly veiled defence of his former friend. "Bullshit."

Rachel moved her legs restlessly, she was emotionally drained and hanging by a thread. "Goodnight Noah."

"Hey," He grasped her arm with firm fingers, preventing her from escaping as she reached for the handle. She had to force herself to look at him to remind herself, and her pulse that had just leapt in trepidation, that this was _Noah_.

Puck intently gave her a once over, "Are you alright?" He felt the lameness of his question falter in the air as it put it out there. Of course she wasn't alright, she was a complete mess. His gaze trailed over her again, and he was troubled to see the tears he had thought had deserted them, fill her doe like eyes.

Rachel knew that this was it, that she should tell him. She _needed_ to say it out load, to validate the horror she had endured and the pain in its wake. But for some reason the words locked in her throat, her mind screaming out "Deny, deny, deny."

She shook her head even as, she tried to muster a small smile for him, an attempt that faltered dismally. "No." It came out as a whisper, and before he could formulate a response, she had opened her door and slipped out of his truck, closing the door behind her with a clunk.

Puck had his hand on his own door handle, his gut telling him to vault out after her, for what, he wasn't certain. He paused indecisively, watching as she crossed the driveway to the front porch, his much larger sweatshirt hanging mid was down her thighs. Rachel stood still at the door for a moment before she reached into the pot plant beside the entry, and after straightening inserted a key into the lock.

_**You gotta be kidding me.**_

He couldn't remember what her fathers' did for a living, but he knew they were pretty high up in their jobs and travelled a lot, leaving their daughter home during their frequent business trips. If he had have known where the keys were for her house, back in the day when he was a complete fucktard to her, he was sure he would have broken in to complete some lameass practical jokes. Now that Puck was trying to turn a new leaf, and had given up the juvenile antics he was once famous for, he knew there was a multitude of guys at their school just itching to take his place.

Unfortunately, thanks to his previous treatment of the Broadway bound diva, Rachel Berry was a massive target. He made a mental note to tell her off for the Berry's less than original hiding spot for spare house keys, he didn't want anything to happen to her.

When a light turned on upstairs in a window he knew to be hers, he started his truck. With a final glance at her house, Puck stuck his gearshift into reverse and headed for home, his thoughts uncomfortably revolving around the distressed brown eyed girl.

* * *

Rachel climbed the stairs slowly. She had been holding herself so tensely that her whole body ached and the thought of crawling into her bed and crying into her pillow held a lot of appeal.

She tiptoed past her fathers' room, not wanting to alert them to her presence and have them question her about her evening. When she reached her bedroom, she tried to close the heavy door as quietly as she could. Evidently, she wasn't as silent as she had hoped, because almost immediately she heard the soft thud of footsteps and she had just made it over to her walk in wardrobe and stepped inside, where she knew she couldn't be seen from the doorway, when she heard a soft knock and the hinge creak.

"Hi sweetheart, I thought I heard you come in." her Daddy greeted in a hushed voice from the threshold.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to respond in a light cheerful tone. "Hi Daddy, I'm just changing. Sorry if I was a little late getting home. How was your evening?"

"That's ok hon, I was just waiting up to make sure you got home safely.' Rachel had always been a model daughter and given her fathers no need for concern, so it didn't occur to her daddy to be suspicious of her whereabouts. "Dad and I had a wonderful dinner. How was your night? Did you have fun?"

_**Fun? **_Rachel battled a manic urge to laugh. "It was tiring." She answered after a beat willing him to go away.

"Well luckily tomorrow is Sunday, so I think we all deserve a sleep in. Sweet dreams princess."

She didn't bother to answer, and the door clicked shut behind her father just as her shoulders began to shake with renewed vigour. Swiping furiously as her eyes, Rachel ran to her adjoining bathroom, flinging Pucks sweatshirt to the ground and kicking off her shoes as she went.

Wrenching back the shower curtain she turned both taps on all the way so the shower head was pouring out water, not bothering to check the temperature as she stepped into the stall fully clothed. She turned her face upwards, almost relishing the needling discomfort the spray caused on her skin, the lukewarm water mingled with her tears.

Rachel shed her skirt first, the saturated denim slopping loudly on the tiles as she dropped it and then removed her top, the black silk now ruined. She didn't care; its not like she would have worn it again anyway. After discarding her bra she reached for an exfoliating mitt and her body wash, shaking hands smothering her skin with the strawberry scented gel.

She scrubbed and scrubbed until she was red raw, angry white lines visibly scratched down her arms and legs from the abrasiveness of the material.

_Need to get clean._

When her arms were tired from the exertion of her strokes, she rested her head against the slick wall tiles. The water had cooled to freezing and as it ran over her spine spreading numbness through her body, Rachel couldn't help but welcome the sensation and hope it would last.

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**_AN: I know, I'm stringing it out. I promise Puck will find out in the next chapter. Now that Federer has won and I am no longer distracted by The Australian Open, I'll deliver the update as promised in a day or so._**

**_Thanks guys, Reviews = Love :) ~ Kelly_**


	6. Sneaky Chapter 6 POINT 1

_**AN: Hey kids, it's me again. You know what sucks about the whole review thing? When people send you a message and say that like your story, and then make an offhand suggestion that gets your brain ticking, so much so that you end up deleting half of what you've written trying vainly (and mostly unsuccessfully) to incorporate some of their more brilliant ideas! I've had to split this update into two chapters because of a few last minute inspirations, so here's Chapter 6.1 and its sister, 6.2 shall be up later today. **_

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Across town, Puck was scowling viciously at his ceiling.

He couldn't get the image of Rachel's tear stained face out of his mind, and he had the strangest feeling that he shouldn't have left her. His mom would call it intuition or some shit like that but Puck thought too much time hanging around Kurt Hummel was turning him into a homo. Berry was a big girl. She was probably elbow deep in cookie dough ice cream right now, and scrolling through jilted love song choices for her next Myspace video.

His alarm clock read 1.36 in bright red numbers. What a loser. Here he was, a perfect specimen of raw sexual energy, and he was in bed, alone, on a Saturday night. He snorted at his own patheticness and reached into the pocket of his jeans for his phone.

There were plenty of horny women just begging for a call from the Puckmeyster on a night such as this. He'd had a couple of enticing offers laid out to him that week on house calls for his pool business that he'd noted to revisit. He snickered to himself, _and I do mean_ _laid out. _In fact, one brazen little lady had saved her number into his phone just yesterday and had stressed that her husband was out of town all weekend and she was already feeling so very lonely.

Now that Berry was home safe and sound there was nothing more pressing on his agenda than getting a much needed empty out, and he had no intention of beating it out himself when there was a tight little mouth willing to work the magic for him.

Puck scrolled through his contacts and when he paused on Berry ( yes that was 'Berry' with a star, and if anyone ever saw that and gave him grief, he'd kick their ass), all thoughts of cougars and booty calls forgotten. Fuck. He stared at her name, telling himself it wasn't too late to call, he could just check in. His thumb hovered on the call button for a full minute until he threw the cell down in disgust. _Check in?_ He was such a pussy, he might as well cut off his balls and hand them to her. While he was at it, he didn't need his dick either since apparently he wasn't going to get any when he was so focused on her.

He looked down at his crotch sadly. _'We had good times my friend.'_

The buzzing of the discarded phone by his hip caught him by surprise and he dove to answer. _HOLY FUCK_. The name '_Berry_' flashed over the screen. She often claimed she was psychic. This was fucking trippy.

"Hey." Puck tried to answer casually, but his greeting came out squeaked_. SHIT. _He could hear music and loud conversation on the other end of the line. "Puckerman!" a boisterous voice boomed.

"Mercedes?" the jock sat up in confusion, scratching his jean clad thigh.

"Yeah white boy, it's me. Yo, I hear you slipped out with little Miss Diva not too long ago." He waited for a question, but it never came so he just grunted. "Yeah. So?"

"Soooooooo she was supposed to be catching a ride home with my man Kurt and I, but her Streisand loving ass has been MIA for hours. I can't reach her, coz I have her phone." He could practically see the other girl tapping her foot with impatience.

He rolled his eyes. "I kind of figured since you called me on it and all. Look, take a chill pill. I drove her home already, she was upset about Finn." He didn't elaborate further. He knew that if Mercedes hadn't seen the Quarterback's PDA for herself, Beyonce would have surely told her about it, in graphic detail.

He heard his words repeated as Mercedes was relaying the information on. "Was she devastated?" That was Kurt, his voice muffled as he took the phone from his friend.

Puck flopped back on the bed, "Pretty much." He confirmed. Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes had united their respective Divahoods since Sectionals and were now close friends. He knew that there was no point pussy footing around a denial because Rachel would surely tell them when she saw them next.

"Did you dish out a little consolation?" The other boy asked eagerly, the lilt in his voice making Puck suspicious.

'Hummel have you been drinking?" he demanded almost proudly. The flamboyant soprano was usually just as fanatical as Rachel when it came to protecting his instrument. If he had to sit through another lecture about how dairy would wreak _'irrevocable damage'_ on his vocal cords, he was going to knock both of their heads together.

"Yes." There was a giggle on the other end of the line. "When you ignore the sheer explosion of carbs you're consuming, beer is surprisingly yum." Puck sighed and made to get to his feet, feeling for his car keys. "You're not driving; I'll come and give you guys a lift home." Damned if he knew what these Gleek's were turning him into, some days he barely recognized himself.

He regretted the offer almost instantly as Kurt practically swooned into the phone. "Aww Noah Puckerman, you're pretty! But we're _all_ wasted and Matt's letting us all crash on his living room floor. It's like one great big Gleep-over. You are more than welcome to bring your fine, chiselled self and come join us."

Puck shuddered at the suggestive tone, "No thanks."

"You're not having a sleepover of your own with our Ms Berry are you?" Kurt questioned eagerly, hoping to scoop a bit of gossip. Since Quinn's departure, the Glee club had been scandal free, it was really quite boring.

"No I'm not, Berry is tucked up in her own bed and I'm in mine, alone." He tacked that on to the end for his own benefit and once again suppressed the revolt at the fashionable teen's cooing. 'Oh you poor, sexy, Gods gift to man." Puck vowed then that he would never, ever let the Kurt drink around him. "Tell me, what are you wearing?"

"Uck, Later Hummel." Puck tossed his phone carelessly on his nightstand where it landed with a clatter. Well that was the end of that, toeing off his shoes he rolled over onto his stomach and bunched the pillow under his chin. In no time at all, in that infuriating way that men can manage, he was fast asleep.

* * *

Rachel was having no such luck. She sat on the window seat, staring out as the sky tinged a pinkish orange.

Her eyes were gritty from exhaustion but she couldn't sleep, her thoughts were too imposing.

_Some time after she had dragged herself from the shower and dressed in her oldest, most comfortable pyjamas, she had seated herself at her desk and allowed rational Rachel to momentarily take the reigns. Whilst she would like nothing more than to bury the events of the night in the deepest recesses of her mind, never to be thought of again, her practical side was yelling at her to wake up and acknowledge that burying her head in the sand would cause more harm than good in the long run._

_There were steps that needed to be taken; her fingers hovered over the keyboard._

_She knew that logically she needed to report her attack to the police. Then there was the matter of her memory black out, contraception, STDS. She had been violated. She doubted very much that whoever was responsible for such unspeakable cruelty really had her health and well being in concern. _

_She quickly typed onto a blank Word document:_

_File Report_

_Morning After Pill_

_Check up/Drug effects?/STD's_

_TELL DADS_

_She stared at that last point and tried to keep her emotions in check as she saw the words blur and felt the familiar tightening in her chest. __**What are you doing? You've been raped Rachel, and you're making lists? What's wrong with you? **__The traitorous voice in her head was laced with judgement._

'_I don't know how to go about this,' she argued back somewhat pleadingly. Is there a right way, or a wrong way to act in a situation like this? I just need to feel for one second like I have control over something.'_

_The other voice was silent so she figured she had made her point, so she did what Rachel Berry would normally do when confronted with something she didn't understand. Research._

_She Googled. She started with the memory loss because aside from the actual act itself, she was most worried that she couldn't remember it. So she had typed in 'drugged + sexual assault' and hit enter quickly, watching as the screen filled up with links predominately relating to Date Rape._

_She hesitantly clicked on the first link and here eyes skimmed over paragraphs of information. There were words that stuck out._

_Incapacitated. Unconscious. Memory loss. Side effects. Nausea._

_She clicked on the words "Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault' and read the brief. It was spot on. _

_**You are at a party, a club, or a social event. You are with people you know, people you believe you have no reason to fear. Someone secretly drops a drug in your drink. When the drug dissolves, it is colorless and odorless. It may also be tasteless. You cannot tell that you are being drugged. As you consume the drink, the drug takes effect. You are now in a weakened, helpless, or unconscious state. You cannot escape, resist, or even call out for help. You are sexually assaulted. When the drug wears off, you may not remember what was done to you, who did it, or whether anyone watched.**_

_She felt goose bumps erupt over her skin and looked around for her robe. Whilst her flannelette pyjama pants were warm, she had only a white singlet on her upper half. Her gaze rested on Pucks sweatshirt, lying discarded by her closet. Rising from her desk, she walked slowly towards it, eyeing the dark blue fabric with caution._

_She bent down to retrieve the garment and held it in her hands almost awkwardly. She rubbed her fingers over the thick fleece and then held the garment up to her face. Rachel gasped in surprise as she breathed in his scent: Spicy cologne combined with the faint smell of tobacco and something else that was entirely masculine, and just __**Noah**__. She remembers that scent lingering around her as he had held her, and in a desperate bid to feel as safe as she did then, she put it on, zipping the lapels together securely. It wasn't as good as the real thing she supposed, but as she sniffed at the collar shamelessly, she thought it was comforting all the same._

_It turned out she needed that comfort as she returned to her laptop and continued reading. Pressing the back button she went back to the search results and in morbid curiosity, clicked on what looked to be an online information and support group for date rape victims._

_Rachel stared at the screen for an eternity before uncertainly clicking on "Stories"._

_The first's victim's account of her ordeal had Rachel gaping in surprise. It was almost identical to hers. The difference was, this girl had gone to emergency and had a rape kit administered and reported the incident immediately. The police had run DNA results against the state data base but there had been no match. No one at the party had remembered seeing her with anyone. Her attacker was never found. _

_Rachel put her head in her hands. __**A rape kit**__. She had seen that on Law and Order several times but the fact had completely slipped her mind. She had washed herself thoroughly and had probably destroyed any evidence, with having no recollection of her attack DNA would be the only proof she had. And she had possibly destroyed that._

_Rachel continued reading, finding herself crying silently as she poured over countless versions of the same crime. It was heartbreaking. She could almost forget her own ordeal when reading the horrific accounts of these other women. There were women who had been raped by their husbands, co-workers or family members; been attacked in bars, parking lots, houses of friends….Rachel felt sick. She considered that maybe she was better of than some of them, because she couldn't remember what had happened to her. But then she thought that maybe the not know knowing part was worse._

When she had forced herself to stop reading, she had taken up her current position here at the window. The sun was up now, and there was some movement in the street as her neighbours went about their lazy Sundays. She allowed her head to lull to the side tiredly and waited for sleep to come, but it continued to elude her.

Rachel was still in that position when later, her Dad knocked on her door "Come on Sleepyhead. Daddy and I let you sleep in, but we do want to make the 11am service at church." Though her Daddy was Jewish and she had been raised to predominately follow that faith, her Dad was Catholic and they did their best to make it to church for Sunday service at least once a month.

She tore her blank gaze from the window and watched as he entered the room. 'I'm sorry Dad, but I'm just not feeling up to it." Her dad frowned in concern when he saw her and made his way over. Her eyes flicked in panic to her laptop, but she was relieved to note that it had shut down into hibernation mode.

Thank god. She didn't want her fathers to find out by chancing a look at a computer screen.

"Honey, you look terrible!" he dad was exclaiming. 'Andrew! Get in here, Rachel is sick." She closed her eyes as he placed a large hand on her forehead, "You don't have a fever. That's good"

"What is it? It's not your throat is it Princess?" Her daddy enquired frantically hurrying into the room and joining his husband at Rachel's side, running his hands over her face in paternal anxiety. She couldn't help but push the offending hands away. At their touch, the panic and unease from last night returned and she made a split second decision.

"No, it's not my throat. I'm just feeling under the weather and I got little sleep last night. I think it would be best if I gave church a miss and got some rest."

"Well of course Sweetheart. You stay right here and take it easy." Her daddy agreed, pulling the throw blanket from her bed and tucking it over her lap.

"We were going to meet up with the Robertson's for lunch afterwards, but we'll be sure to come straight home after church to check on you." Her dad decided as her daddy straightened from his fussing.

"NO!" she coloured slightly at her outburst. "I mean, don't change your plans. I'll probably be fast asleep by then and there's no need for you to be wandering around here needlessly, wasting your weekend. I can call you if I require anything."

Her fathers looked at her, and then at each other. "Alright, that sounds reasonable. Feel better Princess and call us if you need us to bring you anything home."

She nodded, accepting their kisses on her cheek with a forced smile and said her goodbyes as they left her. Rachel let out a sigh of relief at their absence.

Her earlier rationale was telling her that she shouldn't have let them go. That keeping silent on the matter was the exact opposite of what she needed to be doing, but her response to their close proximity was undiluted fear. Intellectually she knew her fathers would never harm her but she was a prisoner to her body's automatic reactions, and her emotions had scared her into silent submission. Her fathers had always been protective and overly attentive towards her; they were going to be unbearable when they found out.

* * *

Puck was scanning a text message from his mother as he walked back from the ATM machine towards the supermarket, not looking where he was going. He felt the air leave his lungs as he slammed into someone pelting out of the pharmacy he was passing, at top speed.

While the impact was enough to wind him and have him rock back on his heels, he managed to maintain his balance. The other person was not so lucky, and Puck could hear a pained 'Oomph' as they hit the pavement.

He looked down in surprise to see Rachel Berry splayed on her backside, and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Berry we gotta stop meeting like this." Tired eyes flashed him a look of annoyance but she accepted the outstretched hand he offered. Puck hauled her to her feet, studying her attire as she scanned the ground around them, and he took in her black yoga pants and light grey sweatshirt. He couldn't recall ever seeing her out of a skirt, but he noticed appreciatively the way the material hugged her ass and promised himself that later he'd make time to fantasize about what she might look like in jeans. _Oh yeah._

Rachel crouched back down to retrieve her purse which had burst open upon contact with the sidewalk; loose change, keys and breath mints strewn haphazardly over the concrete. So focused on her task, Rachel failed to see the strong arm that reached for the small paper bag that had also been victim to her descent, and the subsequent look of complete bewilderment that spread over Puck's face as the paper tore at his touch and the contents of the pharmacy bag slipped into his palm.

PLAN B Anti-contraceptive, the stark blue letters stood out on a light green background. His eyes skimming the fine print in disbelief.

_**Plan B is an emergency contraceptive method that reduces the chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex (i.e, if a regular birth control method fails or after sex without birth control). Plan B should only be used in emergencies. **_

_**NO FREAKING WAY! Berry had SEX?**_

He turned to gawk at Berry whose features were hidden from his view by loose tendrils of hair escaping from a messy bun. Rachel placed the last of her belongings back into her purse and looked up to find a piercing hazel gaze fixed upon her face in apparent shock. She was just about to ask him if something was the matter when she spied the crumpled up sack in his fist and a very familiar box in the other.

Puck gave a credible impression of a gold fish, opening and closing his mouth as words seemed to fail the boy. So completely thrown by his discovery, he just waved the box in front of her nose, feebly trying to formulate the question. "Berry." He finally found his voice. "What the fuck?" Rachel gasped in horror, snatching the pills from his grip. She clutched them tightly to her chest, unable to glance away from the intensity of his expression. "I, ah… I mean, um that-"

His slanted an eyebrow in sardonic amusement as she stumbled over her words. Rachel tried frantically to rack her brain for an explanation that would suffice, but came up with nothing. She seemed to recall a popular expression that suggested sometimes it was better to just to cut and run and thought at that particular moment, she had never heard more shrewd advice.

Puck was left gaping at Berry's retreating figure when, in a split second, the girl had spun and sprinted away at a speed that would have made Coach Tanaka proud. He glanced down at the empty paper bag in his hand and had to wonder what the hell had just happened.

* * *

_**A P.S Authors note: Yeah so I know Puck was supposed to find out this chapter, but since I've sneakily split the update into Chapter 6.1 & 2, I technically wasn't lying. Special shout out to CrazyCutie1702 who pointed out that Rachel and Puck are like the Joey and Pacey of Glee- you are so right. And I'm stoked by this analogy since J + P ended up together (Stupid Dawson). And to Playmaker Kelsi for her dose of realism, that's the cause for my last minute re-write of the next chapter. **_


	7. Chapter 6 POINT 2 AKA: Puck finds out

**_AN: I've been trying to upload chapters for 3 days without success. Is anyone else having this issue? Gah, how annoying! So we're moving on in the story after this chapter since I got the message, you're_** **_all sick of my stringing it out (Me too, but I told you I can't stop the dribble :) ). Next up will be a little more Puck loving and then its on to the cuplrit! You guys are awesome._**

**_Oh, I just thought I'd mention, I've been watching Season 3 of Dawson's Creek this week :) Joshua Jackson, why must you be so pretty, and Katie Holmes- what happened to you?_**

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_The Berry Residence, 15 minutes later._

* * *

Rachel stood wide eyed in the entry foyer as the doorbell rang loudly, reverberating through the empty house. She knew as soon as she had pulled in the driveway that he would come after her, she just didn't expect it would be this soon.

She thought about ignoring him and pretending she wasn't home, but her car was parked glaringly obvious in front of the garage. The same car he had watched her flee to only minutes before.

Taking a deep breath, she flung open the door intending to tell Puck to mind his own business, but as she stepped onto the porch and mustered up the appropriate amount of venom for her scathing delivery she was confronted by the wrong jock.

"Finn."

The boy in question gave her his patented goofball smile and scratched the back of his head. "Hey Rach, how you doing?"

"I'm well Finn, thank you for asking." She replied automatically, flummoxed by his presence. An awkward silence stretched between them until she eventually prompted, "Can I venture to enquire as to the purpose of your visit?"

He handed over the blackberry she hadn't seen him fiddling with. 'Mercedes asked me to give you this. She's grounded, so she couldn't bring it herself. Apparently she didn't call to let her folks know we all ended up staying at Matt's last night." Finn explained, his grin widening. "They phoned her bright and early this morning and told her to get her butt back home in 10 minutes, without passing go or collected 200 dollars." He was demonstrably proud of the little joke he had made.

Rachel felt herself involuntarily smiling in return. "Poor Mercedes. I guess there's no get out of jail free card then." Finn's was visibly delighted that she got his monopoly reference and volleyed back with one of her own.

He knew he was sometimes a bit late on the uptake, and Rachel herself was renowned for being socially awkward, which truthfully was part of the reason he was so attracted to her in the very beginning, which brought him back to the other reason for his visit.

"Look Rach," he started nervously. "Kurt said something last night, about how maybe you were upset about me and Karen, uh the girl I, kind of,"

"I understand Finn." She held up her hand as he tried to explain second base without actually saying so. He looked sheepish, "Right, well I just wanted to make sure that-"

Rachel got the gist of what he might be about to say and was happy to interrupt. "Finn, this is a topic we really have no need to discuss. While admittedly I was taken aback when confronted with your little flirtation, I harbour no ill feelings toward you I promise."

His blank look was telling her he hadn't the faintest idea what she had just relayed. "I meant, that I'm not upset Finn." She translated gently.

"Oh." He looked relieved. "That's good, because I think I really like her, and I know that you and I…" he paused, stumped.

'Are friends." She finished for him, her tone sincere. "_JUST_ friends. And as such, I'm happy for you and, uh _Karen_."

He smiled that infectious, crooked grin that used to make her tummy tingle. She noted idly her lack of reaction now and filed the thought away.

"Thanks Rachel, you're a great friend and I just want you to know that I appreciate you."

Her smile faded as he invaded her personal space and reached his arms out toward her. Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach, "No Finn, please." Her voice, that was so steady just seconds before, shook, and she pressed weakly at his chest as his long arms engulfed her. "Let me go," she beseeched and it must have been the quietness of her statement that made the Quarterback ignore her, but before Rachel could protest any further she felt Finns body, that had been pressing against her uncomfortably, jerk away. When the equalling imposing presence of Noah Puckerman pushed between them, Rachel realised why.

"Dude, what the hell?" Finn shouted, more surprised than angered.

"She told you to let her go." Rachel cringed at the hard edge in Puck's voice. _Poor Finn_,_ he had no idea that he was even distressing her. _

The taller boy looked at Rachel for an explanation, his boyish features disarmingly perplexed. She shook her head, "It's fine Finn, you didn't do anything wrong." She reassured him, but the strain in her tone caused Puck's eyes to narrow.

'Right. Nothing wrong. Are you really going to let Golden Boy here, keep you as his little lay on the side?"

"My what?" Finn looked from Puck to Rachel in complete confusion, noting with interest the way Puck stood kind of between him and Rachel. 'Why are you so pissed man?"

"Because you fucked Berry, and then went and got it on with Goldilocks last night!" Puck erupted, his face reddening in anger as he stepped toward his former friend in a threatening manner. Rachel instinctively threw herself in front of the ropable left tackle and put a restraining hand to his heaving chest. "I didn't sleep with Finn." She assured him hastily, relieved when the mohawked boy looked at her and she could immediately see his fury subside.

"What?" Finn was exclaiming, his eyes popping out of his sockets. "No! I didn't, I mean I've never," he ran a hand through his brown hair, making the longer bits at the front stick out in a wayward angle. "You thought I had sex with Rachel?" He was finally able to form a cohesive sentence and just gaped at Puck.

Puck, for his part, could see the sincerity in Rachel and Finn's emphatic denials and was now unsure about the conclusion he had drawn, until he remembered the encounter in front of the pharmacy. Confident once more in his deduction he countered, "Ok, so you didn't have sex with_ Finn_, but you don't take those pills without reason Berry." Puck stood firm with his arms crossed.

"Birth control pills?" Finn guessed, regarding Puck pityingly. "Dude, their not just for sex you know. Girls can also take them for when they like," he lowered his voice as if the subject was taboo "have lady problems, regularity and stuff."

Puck regarded the other boy in curiosity, wondering how the hell he knew about 'regularity' when Puck knew his knowledge on sex and reproduction in general was filled with large, gaping holes. The guy had actually believed he had got Quinn pregnant in a hot for fucks sake.

When Puck turned his gaze back on Berry, he was startled to see the pleading, almost desperate look she was giving him. Her eyes were screaming for him to shut the hell up and he reluctantly complied.

Finn was not oblivious to the silent conversation Puck and Rachel seemed to be engaged in and he appraised his former best friend. "I never thought I'd see the day when you had some moral code against being with more than one girl." He commented, a hint of malice in his even tone.

Puck shrugged indifferently. 'Hey man, you can stick your dick wherever you want as long as you keep Berry out of it."

"And what is it to you if something's going on with me and Rachel?" Finn pressed, genuinely curious and Puck felt his resolve snap and he snarled,

"Because if you want a quick fuck you go to Santana, you don't string Berry along like she doesn't deserve anything better. She's not just '_some girl_'."

Finn suddenly smiled at him and it took all of Puck's self control not to drop tackle the guy and beat the living shit out of him. Finn was nodding, like he was just beginning to realize something then, after a pregnant pause, he shrugged. "I've got to get home; I promised my mom I'd mow the lawn today."

Rachel, bewildered by the whole exchange, thanked him for returning her phone and he answered her with a parting smile. After acknowledging Puck with a tilt of his head, his large frame ambled back to his car.

Puck turned from watching Finn back out of the driveway and spied Rachel trying to sneak into her house unawares.

"No way Berry." He smacked him palm against the wood as she attempted to close it behind her and pushed his way into the foyer.

Her shoulder dropped and she bowed her head in resignation, knowing he was like a dog with a bone but vainly hoping he would take pity on her and leave her be. "Please Noah, can we not do this? I can't deal with you right now."

The defeated look on her face was the red flag he'd been looking for. His intuition last night was spot on the money. She wasn't alright and he was damned if he was going to let her push him away before he got to the root of the problem. Puck frowned and pointed an accusing finger at her. "See, right there. That tone is what's going to keep me right here until your trap starts flapping and you tell me what the hell is going on with you!"

He marched into the living room and flung himself onto the sofa and she trailed after him, stopping to stand by the fireplace fidgeting nervously with the bottom of her sweater. Puck was glaring daggers at her and she bit her lip and looked away from the intensity of his stare. "Start talking Berry."

Rachel shook her head and glanced anywhere but him. "I don't have anything to say.' She murmured, "You're wasting your time."

He scoffed and leant forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. "You and I both know Berry, that you've always got something to say. Now judging by your little purchase this morning, sometime in the last couple of days you've gone and done the nasty, but apparently not with Finn."

"So the way I see it, after you saw Finn and his new wannabe Quinn, you got yourself so worked up in a jealous rage and jumped the next guy that passed by your crazy orbit, how am I doing so far?" A strong part of him was warning him to let go with the asshole act, but he was on a roll and the thought of Rachel having sex (most likely for the first time) with some random dude, made him so angry and _jealous_ he could hardly see straight.

He quirked his eyebrow at her as if daring her to refute his allegations, but she was frozen in place, her eyes fixed at a spot on the carpet as his voice echoed around her.

Puck was oblivious to the effect his words were having, continuing to verbalize his speculations, supposing that maybe she drowned her sorrows in beer and let some ballsy tosser get handsy.

He had meant that thought to be flippant but suddenly his stomach clenched as a sickening possibility flittered through his brain, and as that suspicion took root snapshots of images appeared. Rachel crying in his arms at the party, her silence and unnatural behaviour on the ride home, and the telling morning after pills she had purchased.

"Berry." The tightness in his tone forced her to look at him and her breath caught when she saw the intensity in his burning hazel gaze. "Tell me that you _willingly_ slept with someone, that they didn't force themselves-" He broke off and swallowed visibly as he felt bile creep up in his throat at the suggestion he was making.

There was no mistaking the shuttered expression that veiled her wide brown eyes and he jumped to his feet, his entire body vibrating with tension as she remained silent.

"Tell me," he began again 'That you weren't _raped_." Her flinch as he ground out the word was all the confirmation he needed, and he suddenly spun around on his heel to stare at the wall, his mind in overdrive trying to grasp what he had learned.

Rachel's legs began to wobble and she took a few shaky steps to sit on the edge of her Daddy's armchair. She felt light headed, with black spots appearing behind her eyelids as her heart seemed to clench in a vice like grip, sweat breaking out on her forehead. The lack of sleep coupled with the high anxiety she'd been experiencing since last night was trying to shut down her body. She tried to call out for him, but could barely recognise the "Noah" as it passed through her lips.

He turned back toward her when he heard her whisper his name and in a split second he had propelled himself across the room, Rachel literally coming undone in front of him. She was gasping for air now the pressure in her chest unbearable. He recognised the onset of a panic attack from years of watching his mother suffer through them and was quick to gently push her head between her knees, crouching in front of her. "Just breathe Rach, in and out."

Puck took her hands in his and squeezed lightly. She tried to shake off his grip and seemed to shrink back into the chair but he held firm, stroking his thumbs over her knuckles. "Come on babe. In and out, in and out." He coached encouragingly, repeating the words over and over for several minutes until it seemed like it was working and the tremors that were shuddering through her body evened, her gasps shorter and softer.

When she seemed to have gained control of her breathing Puck lifted her with ease so he could slide onto the seat, cradling her body in his lap. His movements were so smooth that she hadn't realized what he'd done until she felt the hardness of his torso pressed against her side, and the warmth of his body soak into her own.

She automatically placed her palm against his chest wanting to push him away but instead, Rachel found herself bunching fingers into his shirt and snuggling closer, burying her face into the crook of his neck. A part of her was resisting having him so close, she couldn't seem to make her body understand that she was safe, when the slightest movement or touch could set off the alarm bells and plunge her into a panic.

Puck felt her hot tears soak through his thin t-shirt and he held her tighter, resting his cheek upon her hair as she cried.

"Shh, it's ok." He reassured her quietly, even though it wasn't. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." Though he was burning to ask a thousand questions, he knew now was not the time.

She lifted her head and her nose accidentally brushed his, "I can't Noah. I meant it when I said I don't have anything to say." She exhaled shakily and ventured hesitantly, 'I'm sure something was slipped in my soda last night, I don't remember any of it, I just woke up and-" She couldn't finish. His eyes darkened as they searched hers, the raw pain and turmoil apparent in her watery chocolate depths made his blood boil. Whoever was responsible for putting that look there, just signed their own death certificate. When he found out who'd touched her, there'd be not much of a body left to identify, that much he was certain.

"You haven't reported it." It was more a statement than a question, and Rachel shook her head before resting against his shoulder. "Have you told your Dads?"

"I haven't told anyone." She was a dead weight against him, exhausted and emotionally spent. He swallowed thickly, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility settle on his shoulders for the tiny brunette. "Rach, I'm a little out of my depth here."

_**Understatement of the century**_.

"I have no idea what you need me to do, but I think I should be telling you that you have to see a doctor in case that-" Puck paused trying to find the right word, "_Motherfucker_ hurt you. I mean, more than-" he trailed off, forced to acknowledge again that she had been sexually assaulted. He was silent for a few minutes, just holding her, rubbing circles soothingly over her back.

The guilt was starting to set in, along with an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. He felt like he'd failed her. Rachel had been a mess last night and he'd driven her home completely oblivious to her suffering, and just left her even when everything in him had told him to stay.

"You have to tell your Dads. This is not something you can keep from them."

"I will, I just can't seem to say the words." Her voice was so soft and lost. "There are going to be so many questions and I don't have answers."

"All I have is the realization of what had happened when I woke up, and having to remember that and retell how I felt…." She trailed off, shaking her head as if to ward off the images. "How do you think my parents are going to take that? What am I supposed to tell them?"

Puck had no idea. 'We'll figure it out ok? You don't need to worry anymore. I'm here, you're safe and somehow we'll get through it." The conviction in his statement comforted her more than it should. Rachel had a feeling that her ordeal was far from over, but she'd deal with that later. Right now she was worn out and in desperate need of the security he provided, so she gave up fighting her heavy eyelids and let his gentle ministrations lull her to sleep.

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**_AN 2: Mark Salling, can you please 'lull' me to sleep??_**


	8. Chapter 7

Puck was staring unseeingly out his kitchen window, up to his elbows in soapy suds as he monotonously scrubbed the dishes from the dinner he had made his 11 year old sister. He could hear the telltale giggles from the living room that told him she was otherwise entertained by cartoons and in no dire need for his company.

His thoughts strayed back to Rachel, not that she'd been far from his mind since he'd left the Berry household that afternoon to collect his sister from a birthday party. He'd hated leaving her, but when her fathers had come home and found their only daughter curled up with a strange boy, one with a Mohawk no less, Rachel had hesitantly filled them in on the sparse details of her attack and been promptly whisked away by them to the hospital and then to the police station.

He'd been going out of his mind since, having sent text after text checking up on her, and receiving only the one response: _MSG: Berry * I'm fine. Parentals beside themselves. Having statement taken momentarily. _

The briefness of her reply and the subsequent lack of communication since were worrying him, especially the part about her fathers. To say they hadn't taken the news well was a gross understatement. The shorter, fatter Mr Berry had burst into hysterical tears and the other Mr Berry, the taller one who looked like he could kick his ass if he had too, had paced like a caged tiger, barking out questions in the manner of a drill sergeant. Neither reaction sat well with their distraught daughter who had clung to Puck for moral support; he still had the crescent shaped imprints on his hand where Rachel's nails had dug in.

Puck was broken out of his reverie by the sound of his mother's key in the lock and he wiped his hands on a dishrag and started the microwave to reheat the meal he had saved for her.

"Hi Honey." Mrs Puckerman greeted tiredly, placing her handbag on the counter. She dropped a kiss on his cheek as she moved past him to the living room to greet his sister. By the time his mother had returned, he had set the steaming plate of casserole on the kitchen table along with cutlery and a glass of water.

"You look tired," he noted as he straddled the chair opposite her. "Busy day at the hospital?"

"The usual." She commented taking a bite of her dinner. "Thank you for taking care of your sister this afternoon. When one of the other nurses called in sick, I couldn't say no to the extra money."

Puck shrugged "It's cool."

His mother smiled half heartedly and then sighed into a forkful of lamb.

He studied the lassitude in her expression. "What's up mom?" She met his gaze, her hazel eyes almost the mirror image of his own. "It's nothing Noah." She seemed to change her mind as soon as the words left her lips and immediately contradicted herself. 'No, it's not _nothing_." The older woman sighed heavily. "I was just thinking about a girl we had in emergency this afternoon. I'm just hoping she's doing ok."

Puck bobbed is head slightly. His mother had been a nurse for 10 years now, and seldom did she not bring the worry of her job home with her. She was by nature, a sweet and caring person and Puck had always believed that she cared _too_ much. "What happened to her?" he asked, knowing that talking about the patients his mom looked after helped her to put her day in perspective, and would go toward helping her settle in for the night.

Mrs Puckerman sighed again, a heavy weary sound. "She'd been sexually assaulted at a party this weekend. It seems as though her drink had been laced with a small amount of Rohipnol, enough to knock her out for a few hours." She shook her head sadly as Puck immediately thought of Rachel. "Fortunately she hadn't been drinking any alcohol or the side effects could have been a lot worse."

Puck swallowed the lump in his throat. "So she's ok? There's nothing else wrong with her?"

His mother must have heard an inflection in his tone because she shot him a searching look. "You mean aside from the fact that whilst she was incapacitated she had her virginity stolen and sense of self compromised? No nothing." Puck thought his sarcasm and general bad attitude might have rubbed off on his mother over the years.

"Chill out." he rested his chin on the chair back as he regarded his mother. "I just wondered whether she had any other injuries."

She flashed him a look of apology. "There was no internal damage, thankfully, but there was a lot of bruising around her wrists and thighs."

_**Internal damage? Fuck. **_

Lucky he hadn't even known that was a possibility or he would have been a hot mess. Puck was certain that the girl in question was Rachel. After all, Lima wasn't all that big, what were the chances of two vastly similar attacks on the same night? He hadn't noticed any bruising but then, he hadn't been looking very hard. Just the thought of angry marks on her perfect skin reignited his anger.

"The poor girl has _two_ fathers, no mother, and they were ranting and raving like lunatics at the hospital until the police came to talk to them and take a statement. I just wanted to slap them and say 'Simmer down your daughter needs you, can't you see she needs someone to hold her right now?' But she looked like a frightened rabbit anytime anyone came within 3 feet of her." Mrs Puckerman put down her fork, giving up any pretence of hunger.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, this smells delicious but I'm not all that hungry. I'm going to get your sister ready for bed and then take a bath."

Puck nodded, not really listening. "Is it cool if I go out for a little while? I want to visit a friend."

His mother gave her consent as she scraped her plate. "Sure, try not to stay out to late though, it is a school night." She patted his cheek and exited the kitchen, leaving him to his thoughts.

* * *

Rachel was tossing and turning on her bed, unable to get comfortable when she was startled by her blackberry chirping the chorus to Defying Gravity. Rolling out of bed, she reached to pick up the offending device. _NOAH_ flashed across the screen.

"Hello?" she greeted hesitantly, fearing that he was upset with her for not returning his messages that afternoon.

"Berry, open your window, I'm outside." There was no preamble to the request.

Rachel took two steps to the window and parted the ruffled yellow curtain, the phone pressed to her ear as she peered out. Sure enough, Puck was standing there, his jean clad legs standing shoulder width apart as he gazed upwards. When he saw her face appear he snapped his own phone shut and gave her a jaunty salute.

She let the material drop as she turned to survey her room. Deeming it presentable, she then ran a hand over her hair. Rachel knew she looked frightful; there was not much she could do to erase several hours of crying from her face. The brunette shrugged out of Puck's sweater that she had don again upon her return home a few hours before, and draped it over the back of her desk chair leaving her clad in a bright pink tank top and striped cotton pajama pants.

Going back to open the window, she leaned out a bit to see him poised expectantly with a foot on the trellis that ran from the ground up past her window . "Do you have an aversion to doors Noah?" She asked quietly, not wanting her voice to carry and be heard by her fathers who were downstairs watching television.

He grunted as he hoisted himself up and started climbing, "Just thought I'd fill my weekly quota of cliché moments from 2nd rate teen dramas. I was going to toss pebbles at your window but the only thing I could find was more like a rock and I figured you'd be pissed if I smashed glass just to get your attention." It was probably the longest sentence she'd ever heard him utter, Rachel decided as she watched his progress with interest. "Stand back" he cautioned when he was almost level with her, and as she complied, he swung his legs onto the sill and slipped through the window with a lithe grace she didn't know he possessed.

"Hey." He smirked when he was upright noticing how it took considerable effort for her to tear her glance away from his straining biceps. "Hi." She responded taking a small step backwards and crossed her arms over her chest self consciously when his eyes raked her up and down.

"What are you doing here?"

He shrugged in noncommittal, leaning against her computer desk as he glanced around her room to determine whether anything had changed. The one and only time he'd been in Rachel Berry's bedroom was when they were working on mash up ideas and had ended up making out. Puck's eyes strayed back to her; the difference in circumstances now was sobering.

"I was worried about you." He confessed eventually, not caring in the slightest what that admission might do to the shred of credibility his bad ass reputation had just barely maintained. He doubted that Rachel would use it against him.

She sat Indian style on her bed, looking everywhere but at him directly. "You needn't be. I'm fine."

Puck detested that word, _fine_, and he said as much. "In my experience, when a woman says she's fine she's fucking lying."

"Don't curse, it's unbecoming." She reprimanded him half heartedly and he grunted in irritation. "Come on Berry, I know you feel crap and the last thing you want to do is talk about your feelings and shit but I gotta know what the cops said. How are they going to find the prick that did this?"

Rachel blinked back tears; _she_ _was not going to cry_. She set her mouth until she felt the telltale tremble of her lips pass. "They can't do much. They took what they refer to as a blind report, given that the details I could provide were minimal. The hospital confirmed that there was evidence of sexual assault, and there were still traces of a drug in my system but it was doubtful any DNA could be recovered." She parroted in a flat tone. "DNA would tell them who…" she faltered for a moment. "Did it, and is also the evidence the authorities would need to get a conviction if they found the perpetrator and it went to court."

Puck mulled it over "So basically, they're going to do jack?" He swore underneath his breath and stared broodingly at his scuffed sneakers.

"There's not much they can do." She conceded.

"That fucking sucks."

He watched as she pulled distractedly at a loose thread on her comforter. She looked so lost and he had no idea what he should do. "How you doing Rach? No bullshit."

Her dark eyes flickered up to finally meet his gaze. "No 'bullshit'? I…" She had to stop to consider his question & her shoulders slumped. "I spent all afternoon trying to keep my composure because I knew Daddy was taking the news so hard, but I just wanted to lock myself up here and give up the pretence. I'm so tired Noah." Rachel ended her sentence in a whisper.

"Have you slept at all, aside from your little catnap on my shoulder this afternoon?"

She shook her head.

"You should sleep, you look like the walking dead."

He was shot a withering look, "I find it difficult to believe women find you so irresistible when your tact is so severely lacking."

He ignored that and moved toward her, pushing her gently so he could draw back the covers. 'Shut up and get under."

She nodded reluctantly and shimmied down under the blankets, her dark hair spread out over her pillows. His expression was inscrutable as he tugged the comforter up higher, tucking them under her chin and then headed for the window.

"Please don't leave." She begged suddenly. While she had wanted nothing more than to be rid of her fathers and their hovering, the thought of Noah leaving her to face the darkness alone made her blanch. "Won't you stay?"

Puck turned back to her and flashed her a grin. Not his usually shit eating smirk, but a genuine smile that endearingly quirked the corner of his lips. "I'm not going anywhere Rach," he assured her "I'm just shutting the window." He completed his task and then crossed to the door to turn out the lights, leaving the room bathed only in the soft glow of her bedside lamp.

After shucking off his shoes he swiftly shed his jeans and she averted her eyes as he was left standing in his boxers and t-shirt. Puck noted her reaction and stood indecisively by the bed until she patted the space beside her. After only a moments hesitation he slid under the comforter.

It took Puck a moment to get comfortable, lying on his side so he was facing her, careful to keep space between them so she didn't wake up and panic. Rachel seemed to have other ideas though, because she moved closer and mirrored his position, rolling on her side to face him.

He raised an eyebrow and she blushed. "I apologize Noah, am I invading your personal space?"

Puck halted her attempt to wiggle backwards by placing his large hand on her hip. "No, you're fine where you are. I was just concerned I might be too close for _you_."

"I like you close." Her eyes widened as she realized what had slipped out of her mouth and he chuckled at her horror. Her already reddened cheeks seemed to turn magenta in the dim lighting.

"You do huh?"

She spluttered and shifted uneasily, "What I meant to say is, for whatever reason, I find myself irrationally uncomfortable by my fathers' presence. Stranger still, I feel safe when I'm with you."

He was still grinning "Of course you do. Don't be embarrassed, it's natural baby. I have guns of steel."

"Yes, that must be it." Rachel scoffed.

When they had both stopped fidgeting they found themselves staring at each other, mere inches between them. Puck's eyes traced the curve of her cheek and the gentle bowing of her lips, and before he could stop himself, he had cupped her chin and pressed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth.

He drew back only slightly, his warm palm still touching her face. She felt the moisture pool in her eyes with the tenderness of his action and let out a shaky breath. "I'm afraid Noah, of what's waiting for me in my dreams."

Puck wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her so she was flush against his body. "I'm right here Rach, I'll do my best to keep the nightmares away.' He promised hoarsely into her hair, and she nodded, pressing her face into his chest.

She let out a squeak as he rolled unexpectedly onto his back, taking her with him. "Better." He decided when she was splayed over his chest, her leg thrown over his thigh. Rachel was contemplating how best to extract herself when her nose brushed against his collarbone and she caught a whiff of his scent. All the unease she felt at their proximity faded as she recognised that patented Noah fragrance and she couldn't contain her sigh.

_This is completely illogical_, she thought to herself even as she buried into what was becoming her favourite part of his body, the nook between his neck and shoulder. Here was a boy who threw countless slushies in her face and was almost solely responsible for making her freshman (and part of her sophomore year) a living hell, yet it seemed the mere smell of him made the knots in her stomach ease and kept the shadows at bay.

_How did he do it?_

Rachel didn't have time to ponder further because almost immediately and despite fears to the contrary, her consciousness faded and she easily succumbed to an exhausted sleep.

Puck sensed her relax in his embrace and risked holding her tighter.

Even with her soft curves pressed up against him and the tickling sensation of her breath against his collarbone, he felt that she was too far away. The Puck in him wondered when he grew a vagina with all this touchy feely shit. He'd never spent the night with a girl he wasn't boning. In fact, he'd never spent the night at all. His usual M.O was to have one leg in his jeans practically before the condom had even been discarded.

But the Noah that has been emerging more frequently when he was around Berry, found himself clinging to the petite brunette like he feared she would up and disappear. If he could wrap her up and carry him around in his pocket it still wouldn't be enough to assure him that she was safe, that no one was hurting her. Puck's guilt had manifested. He hadn't been able to shake the fact that he had been wandering aimlessly around Matt's house, whilst she had been upstairs being… He couldn't finish the thought without wanting to hurl. He didn't give a damn about DNA and police reports. There was a more primitive and direct way of finding out who was culpable.

He fought the urge to crack his knuckles and instead, ran his fingers down Rachel's bare arm, surprised when she let out a gentle snore.

When the slumbering girl shifted and her fist came up to rest beside where her head lay on his chest, Puck caught sight of the dark smudges of bruising around her wrist. His decision was made; He wasn't above belting information out of every guy present on Saturday night.

If that's what it took, he'd do it.

* * *

Jacob Ben Israel was hunched over his laptop furiously typing away, a fanatical gleam in his bespectacled eyes.

_**BREAKING NEWS: Good Girl Gone Bad**_

_Spotted on Saturday_

_The Glee club's own Queen Bee getting up close and personal with a mystery WMHS jock at Matt Rutherford's end of year extravaganza. Interestingly though, it was not Quarterback Finn Hudson, the delectable Berry's rumoured flame, that the diva was reported to have hooked up with._

_Sources say Hudson was otherwise engaged with a hottie of his own when the pint sized goddess was seen exiting the festivities downstairs with her new beau in search of a quiet place to create their own private party._

_Of course, on the peripheral of a Hudson romance stands resident bad boy and notorious player, Noah Puckerman, whom Ms Berry ultimately left with hours later. _

_These startling turn of events begs the question: Did Berry really risk her long awaited chance at being Hudson's numero uno for a tumble on the overworked sheets of Puckerman? And what of the third anonymous guy in this love triangle-turned square?_

_**Check back tomorrow for exclusive pictures! **_

Jacob smirked as he added that. He thought about uploading the candid snaps to accompany his post then and there, but he would give his future lady love the chance to weasel them from him with the right incentive. He suppressed a shiver of delight as his mind ran over the possibilities.

With the stroke of a button his article was sent into the bloggersphere.

Tomorrow was going to be a good day.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Greetings! Longtime, no update. I was distracted by work and other people enjoying Valentines Day **__**. So did you know the number of reviews for the last chapter doubled the average for all the others? How stoked am I? Thanks to everyone for their kind, complimentary words- I don't feel even remotely deserving. You guys rock!**_

_**Hey Klewald- do you know I've never heard of the word skeevy? I had to google it *blushes*…then I totally used it in this chapter….**_

_

* * *

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_**Ain't nothing going to break my stride…**_

Puck was shocked out of slumber by the sound of Rachel's iPod blaring to life, his body jerking at the rude awakening displacing the petite brunette from his shoulder.

"What the fuck?" he grumbled as he glanced at the alarm clock. "6am? Berry you got to be shitting me."

Rachel yawned tiredly as she leaned over him to silence the music, before burrowing back under the covers. "Shhhh," she mumbled drowsily. "Go back to sleep."

He stretched his arms above him, cracking his wrist with an audible pop and then his head turned to the side to look at her. There were dark circles smudged under her eyes and her skin had sallow tinge to it. Though she had slept most of the night, having only woken up once when he had shaken her out of a nightmare, Rachel was still exhausted.

"Stop staring." She requested after a moment, her eyes popping open to meet his gaze.

Puck smirked and turned over onto his stomach breathing in the scent of jasmine on her pillow. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Puck groaned, reluctantly getting up and starting to dress. "I should get home before my mom wakes up and blows a gasket when my truck's not in the driveway." He looked down at her, her hand rubbing absently at the space on the bed his body had been occupying. "Do you want a ride to school? I can swing back to pick you up in about an hour." He asked as he sat on the bed near her to put on his shoes.

Rachel shook her head and sat up. "Thank you for the offer Noah, but I don't think I'll be attending today. Despite my considerable talents as an actress, I do not believe I could put on a convincing performance of normalcy at the moment."

Puck leaned over and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Are you going to be alright by yourself? I'm ok with taking the day off to keep you company."

She shot him a wry smile that failed to hide the sadness in her doe like eyes, and pushed lightly at his shoulder. 'I won't be alone. I'm sure my Daddy has no intention of going into work today. So nice try Noah, but I have no interest in contributing to your academic negligence."

He shrugged in a universal 'it was worth a shot' gesture. "I'll stop by this afternoon then."

She nodded and murmured a goodbye as he gathered his keys and wallet, and headed for the window. Half way there he spotted the sweater her had loaned her on Saturday hanging over a chair and reached for it.

"No!" Her cry had him spinning toward her and she vaulted off her bed crossing to his side with quick steps, snatching the garment from his hand. "I'm sorry Noah, but can I keep it? Just for a little while?" Her cheeks flamed red with embarrassment and she refused to look at him.

Puck noted the way she clutched the sweater to her chest protectively and he gently tugged it back from her so he could shake it out and drape it around her shoulders.

Using the sleeves to pull her close to him, he kissed her forehead. "Sure."

She bit her lip and her fingers brushed tentatively over his stomach. "It just helps me maintain some sense of equilibrium, I can't really elucidate as to why." Rachel said unsurely and he shrugged. He wasn't exactly sure what some of those words meant, but he got the gist and chose to play the moment down. 'You don't have to explain shit. If it helps, it helps." He held her to his chest for as long as he could before he gave her one last squeeze. "I really gotta go."

She nodded and watched him climb out the window. When his Mohawked head was out of her sight she pushed her arms through the arms of the sweater and climbed back into bed. Curling up in the middle of the still warm Puck-sized dent in her mattress, Rachel hoped the day passed quickly.

* * *

Kurt was worriedly pacing in front of Rachel's locker when Puck rocked up to school just before the first bell. Puck glanced at the Fashionista who had failed to notice his presence and was muttering unintelligibly under his breath.

"Dude, what's got your panties in a twist?" Puck questioned as he crossed to his own locker opposite, spinning the combination and pulling out his underused biology text book.

The Soprano looked up at Puck's voice and peered around "Where's Rachel? Did she not get a ride to school with you?" Pucks eyebrow furrowed at the slightly hysteric edge to Hummel's voice.

"Berry's not feeling well, she's staying home today." He informed the smaller boy as he rifled around the abandoned gym socks lining the floor of the locker, searching vainly for a pen.

Kurt let out a relieved sigh "Oh thank Lord, Prada and Gucci. Have you seen Stalker Boys latest posting?" he demanded, his hand resting on one jutted out hip.

"Israel's blog? Can't say that I have. What's that skeevy bastard bullshitting on about now?" Puck asked with disinterest as he slammed the metal door shut. Kurt regarded him shrewdly as he wordlessly handed Puck a print out.

"It's about Rachel." He informed him unnecessarily. "And you, but mostly Rachel. I warn you, you're not going to like it."

Kurt was right, Puck didn't like it. As his eyes skimmed over the text, he found himself clutching tighter at the paper until it ripped in half and he dropped it to the floor. Kurt shivered as Puck's enraged eyes met his, "Where the hell is Jewfro now?" he demanded, and once Kurt had given him the answer he was off.

* * *

Puck stalked through the halls, his seething stare intent on locating a wild afro of fuzzy, reddish-brown hair. The students milling in the corridors dove out of his way as they took one glance at his murderous expression and happily gave the intimidating jock wide berth.

He was oblivious to the speculating whispers of his peers hazarding guesses as to the reason for his erratic behaviour. Steadily his search gathered a half dozen Juniors who surreptitiously skulked behind him as Puck continued to hunt his prey.

Puckerman's fight club skills were legendary, and judging by his current demeanour it was safe to say that, should they stick close, they would be treated to an epic demonstration of said skills on some poor unlucky bastard. Each of Puck's followers clucked gleefully at the prospect, but privately gave thanks that they had not garnered the wrath of the irate young man.

Further down the hall, Jacob Ben Israel was peering into his locker unaware of the narrowed eyes trained on his less that impressive physique.

Puck growled low in his throat as he came within reach of his target and in one swift motion had Jacob slammed against the locker, his muscled forearm crushing painfully against the boy's chest.

"Puck!" the red head squeaked in alarm, "What can I do for you?" he continued shakily, his hands grasping at his captor's arm attempting to loosen the hold. He was unsuccessful as the footballer leant his weight into Jacob's torso, constricting his air supply.

Puck was silent for a moment as he stared at the Blogger, who gulped audibly registering Puck's dilated pupils and the pulsing vein in his throat. _**Not good.**_

"What do you know?" The tone was so chilling it caused goose bumps to break out on Jacob's skin. So terrified, he couldn't formulate an answer which seemed to agitate his detainer more.

"I'll ask you _one more time_." Puck punctuated his words, his teeth bared. "What do you know?"

"Ab-b-bout Rachel?" Jacob guessed with a stutter. He knew that the object of his affection had been spending more and more time with the footballer, but unfortunately Jacob had failed to factor in Puck's reaction to his latest online entry. It was an oversight the wannabe journalist would come to regret.

Puck removed his arm from the kids chest, and before Jacob had a chance to take a much needed lungful of air he had fisted Jacob's shirt and slammed his back into the metal, lifting him so he was dangling a foot in the air.

"Who fucking touched her!?" The students, who had been straining to hear the drama unfold, were startled as Puck's voice rang out. "Show me the fucking photos Jewfro."

Jacob hurriedly fumbled for his phone, relieved when he felt his feet touch the ground though Puck did not relinquish his hold. Scrolling through the image gallery, he found the snaps in question and shoved the screen in the vicinity of the Jock's face.

Puck took the proffered device and flipped through the pictures, his gut clenching at the sight of Rachel slumped against a tall blonde boy, her eyes half closed. The images followed the couple as the boy evacuated the incapacitated girl from Matt's kitchen and up the stairs, clearly shouldering her dead weight.

Jacob was trying to inch away from Puck while his attention was diverted, but Puck grabbed his throat and pushed him easily back into place whilst not looking up from his task.

The last photo showed the blonde guy looking over his shoulder, as if to ensure his movements were not being monitored, and it was this picture that alerted Puck to his identity. After all, it was a face Puck had been exposed to countless times at football practice, in locker rooms and many a social gathering; His disgraced team mate, former kicker Alex Langenthol.

He pressed the back button to go back to the beginning and scroll through the photos again and must have gone a few pictures too far, as suddenly Rachel was no longer at the party. This new image depicted her leaning over her pink trolley bag, her white cotton panties just slightly visible beneath her short pleated skirt. Next was her face in profile as she sat in class, then her laughing with Kurt in the cafeteria, stuffing books into her locker, inspecting oranges at the grocery store…. Puck flipped through the photos faster and faster.

There were dozens of invasive photos, bu it was the one with the shadow of her body visible through ruffled yellow curtains, curtains that adorned a window Puck himself had stared at just the night before, which propelled his fist into Jacob's nose without warning, spraying blood over both of their shirts.

Jacob shrieked in pain clutching at his face, his glasses dislodged from the force of the punch. "Listen up you psychotic fucking whack job," Puck spat seizing Jacob's shoulders. "Berry is off limits to you and your creepy stalker tendencies. If I see you within 50 feet of her, or so much as breathing in her general direction-" Puck shook the shorter boy so hard Jacob's teeth rattled in his skull, the excruciating pain in his nose shooting through his entire face. "You don't talk to her, you don't look at her and so help me fucking god if you think about touching her I will tear you apart with my fucking bare hands. You got that motherfucker?"

"Yes, yes I understand." Jacob was practically sobbing and Puck shoved him one last time and let go of him in disgust.

"I'm keeping your phone." He informed him needlessly and then he was gone.

Jacob was left staring after the left tackle, oblivious not only to the snickering of his peers around him, but as to the cause; the warm wet patch of urine saturating the crotch of his pants.

This day was certainly not going to plan.

* * *

At lunch, the entire cafeteria was buzzing with details of Pucks confrontation with Jacob that morning. Finn was staring at Mike who was recounting Jacob's terror and the exact shade of purple Puck's face had turned as he was threatening the other boy.

"I mean, Puck looked so mad I thought he was going to shove his fist so far down Israel's throat they'd have to feed the kid through a straw for life!" The Asian was declaring animatedly.

The loud, reverberating noise of the double doors forcibly banging open had all heads swinging to the entrance.

Mike and Finn simultaneously gulped as Puck appeared, unable to even describe the intensity of his expression. Later the entire student body would claim no one had ever seen the left tackle so tightly wound and demonstrably out for blood.

They watched the back of Puck's Mohawk as he crossed the area with long, sure strides, craning their necks to identify the location of his destination.

It was merely seconds later when he stopped in front of one of the Jock tables, a few over from where Finn and Mike sat with Matt and Mercedes, who had been flirting up a storm, and a newly arrived Artie.

"What's going on?" the wheelchair bound boy had just asked as Puck landed a powerful punch on an unidentified boy who fell out of his chair from the force behind it.

"Duuuuuude." Mike drawled as he stood up to get a better look. Finn followed suit, recognising his team mate, Alex Langenthol, shooting up from the floor and striking back at his attacker, connecting with Puck's cheek.

Puck didn't flinch, taking the hit and assuming his fight stance, he and his opponent circled around each other.

Fists began to fly and though Puck may have outweighed Alex by a good 30 pounds, he was lighter and more agile on his feet, easily ducking the punches and countering with a quick succession of jabs. He smirked everytime he hit skin, creating an audible _thwack_. It was his satisfied expression that had a couple of the other Jocks, who had been standing by jeering, deciding that Puckerman needed to be taken down a peg or two.

Two of them pounced, trying to hold Puck immobile so Alex could have free reign, landing a combination of cross punches and uppercuts to his stomach and torso. Puck grunted after each hit and it was then that Finn shook out of his stupor and reacted. Sure he and Puck were on the outs but they'd been friends _forever_ and the Quarterback was certain that even now, if things were reversed Puck sure as hell would have his back.

"Chang, Rutherford!" Finn barked, his expression stony. "Let's give him a hand."

Mike was raring to go and followed at Finn's heels as they hurried to join in, Matt only a split second behind.

"You two help Puck, I've got Langenthol." Finn ordered and all three jumped to task.

The remainder of the students crowded in as the playing field was suddenly levelled.

Mike and Matt launched themselves onto the two jocks holding Puck, creating a struggle between the 5; elbows, knees & fists connecting all around.

Due to Finn's size, he easily pinned Alex's arms behind him and watched as his three Glee buddies gained the upper hand in their tackle, enabling Puck to break free.

Pucks gaze flickered over his former best friend and settled furiously on the boy he had restrained. "Stop!" Finn shouted as the other teen looked ready to pounce once again. "What the hell dude?"

Surprisingly, Puck did halt, clenching and unclenching his hands as his entire body vibrated with palpable rage. "I'm going to fucking kill you." Puck promised, his tone deadly as he addressed Langenthol.

"Why?" Finn tried to understand. Puck's glare did not stray, his usual hazel eyes almost seeming black with his anger.

"He touched her." Puck answered, "He fucking _raped_ her."

Finn's grip slackened though he did not let go completely. "Who?" he ventured, though his gut told him the answer. _Rachel._ Finn knew Puck might believe his developed feelings for the petite brunette were the best guarded secret he had, but 10 years of friendship had allowed Finn to see right through him. There was no one else in Puck's world that he would literally and figuratively fight for, his mother and sister aside, but her.

Puck didn't say her name, but the look he and Finn exchanged confirmed it.

'That's a pretty serious accusation you're throwing there." Alex sneered. "Maybe whoever it is you think I touched, wanted it. Maybe she _begged_ for it, wanting a real man to pop her cherry."

Puck let out a primitive roar and tackled Alex to the ground, his fists swinging blindly and accidently clipping Finn in the mouth. There was nothing Alex could do but try and protect his face as Puck let out all his aggression, knuckles splitting from the force he exerted, landing punch after punch.

A loud, ear piercing whistle had everyone freezing and Principle Figgins pushed into the throng of teenagers. "All of you, back to class." He glowered at the disappointed students who reluctantly gathered their things to leave.

Puck had paused with his clenched hand ready to deliver another blow that he couldn't bear to see wasted, especially since Figgins' appearance had Alex lowering his own hands, thus leaving his face unprotected.

The sickening crunch of bone breaking could be heard as Alex's jaw shattered, and Puck rose satisfied.

He looked up to see Figgins spluttering and the 5 other jocks looking at him in shock.

"My office Puckerman, now!" The Principle choked out after a moment, his facial expression contorted.

Puck grinned, his split lip and teeth smeared with blood. "Yes sir."

* * *

_**Hell hath no fury like a Puckerman out for vengeance :)**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**WOW! You guys went nuts and the reviews flooded in! Thank you xoxoxo**_

_**The general consensus is that we all pretty much want a Puck to lay his fists on the line for us, right?**_

_**I had a new idea, and while I'm building up to it I had to draw out this whole saga of Alex being named as the perpetrator. I know, *shock, horror* drawing the story out…. something new and different for me!(That's totally almost a line from 10 things I hate about you, and now I really want to watch it.). **_

_**So enjoy this update, but don't hate me too much if you don't get the answers you want out of it. Till nextime….**_

* * *

Rachel rushed into the outer office of the nurse's station, stopping short when she saw Finn, Mike and Matt lounging in high backed chairs, each nursing tender looking scraped and bruises to their knuckles and faces.

The banter the boys had been involved in came to an abrupt halt at Rachel's appearance, and she ignored their greetings giving them each a cursory once over. They seemed to be in perfect health which was a direct contradiction to the brief text Mercedes had sent her earlier, claiming the three footballers were the walking wounded after assisting Puck in the "totally epic smackdown" that had taken place in front of the entire school.

Rachel had been horrified when her Dad had received a phone call from Principle Figgins over an hour before requesting her presence at the school. He was hoping she could shed some light on the altercation that had occurred during the lunch period, involving a group of jocks.

She couldn't be certain as to what the fight had been about but given Puck's recent friendship with her, and the subsequent protective instincts he had developed even before that weekend, she was convinced he had in some way been defending her honour and the other Glee footballers had jumped to his aid.

Her attention fixed on Finn who seemed to be sporting the most serious injury as he held an ice pack gingerly to his chin, which was already starting to develop a bluish-black tinge.

"That looks painful," She acknowledged, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Finn grinned and bobbed his head. "Yeah, but it's not exactly the first right hook Puck has thrown at me."

Rachel stared at him aghast, "Noah did that?"

"Not intentionally," Matt clarified rubbing soothingly at his injured hand. "Finn was just too slow and uncoordinated to duck when Puck was gunning for Langenthol."

"Seriously dude, you saw that Puckerone was about to let fly and you just stood there?" Mike chuckled. "Lucky for you Puck isn't blessed with my mad skills, otherwise your head wouldn't still be attached to your body." Finn's smile turned into an exaggerated scowl at his friend's taunts, before he too laughed.

Matt snorted in amusement, "Get your hand off it Chang, your pathetic ninja skills hadn't a chance in hell today against Hurricane Puckerman and his fists of fury."

'It was pretty sick," Finn agreed poking experimentally at his jaw. 'Do you see his left-right combination? Man he must have been working on that for months!"

Rachel tapped her foot in impatience while they seemed to forget she was in the room, continuing to discuss Puck's technique. "As enthralled as I find myself by this discussion," she began in sarcasm, allowing a little of the normal Rachel Berry to permeate her speech. "I'm actually interested in learning what happened."

Matt and Mike who had fallen silent at Rachel's interruption, quickly launched into a spirited account of Puck's encounter with Jacob, and later with Alex, their explanations running over each other in their haste to divulge the information.

"….looked like he wanted to projectile vomit."

"Smack, thump! Take that Jewfro!"

"You better stay the hell away…"

"...forces him to the ground-"

"…goons jumped him and we were like, hell no!"

" '_I'll fucking kill you'_, and then lands a spectacular punch and the dude's face just _breaks_!"

Rachel's skin paled as she caught snippets of the conversation and she stared towards the door to the sick bay, her lip caught between her teeth.

Finn rested his hand on her forearm and she immediately shook it off, dragging her eyes back to him and stepping away from his towering form. The Quarterback noticed, and shoved his hands in his pockets regarding her carefully. "Rach, I'm so sorry for what happened to you."

She darted a glance back at Mike and Matt who were giving her similar sympathetic looks. Their concern and pity almost had her running in the opposite direction.

"What do you mean?" she brushed off, beginning to edge toward the door she knew would lead her to Noah.

"Puck told me what that fucker did to you." Anger flashed over Finn's face and she felt the seed of dread that had been settled in her belly, blossom. "He _told_ you." She repeated dazedly, holding a hand up to her suddenly warm forehead.

"Well his exact words to Langenthol were 'you fucking raped her', and I figured he was talking about you." Finn hastened to correct himself.

"I see." She mumbled faintly, now unable to meet any of their gazes. "I'm going to have a word with Noah now, excuse me."

Finn tried to stop her again but she neatly sidestepped him and entered the other room.

"God damn it!" Noah was cursing as she shut the door quietly behind her. "Take it easy with the fucking antiseptic will you? That shit fucking stings."

He was treated with a swift slap to the back of his head from the elderly nurse who capped the bottle and rose to her feet. "Remember that next time you decide to engage in foolishness Mr Puckerman, we spend far too much time together as it is. Maybe next year you'll try and attend a math class or two hmm?"

He glared as the nurse left the room, almost bumping into Rachel. "Oh, excuse me Dear."

Puck's gaze softened when he caught sight of her "Hey babe."

Rachel remained by the door as her eyes raked over his exposed torso, his bloody shirt lying discarded at his side. Barely an inch of his lower stomach was unmarked by the intense bruising discolouring his skin, the mélange of purple and black splotches extending up over his defined pectorals. The whole left side of his face was dark and swollen, with trickles of blood leaking from the smalls cuts high on his cheek bone and above his eyebrow; Pucks lower lip triple its normal size, dried blood crusting the split in the middle.

Her heart clenched at the sight of him and she had to restrain the impulse to launch herself at him and kiss each and every wound.

"You told them Noah? About what happened to me, why would you do that?" She asked quietly, the hurt laced in her tone.

He looked taken aback, as if he hadn't expected her to open with that. "I didn't tell them what happened." He denied and she answered with a snort of disbelief. 'From what I understand, you accused someone of rape in front of the whole cafeteria. And if Finn figured out it was me, I'll wager it was pretty obvious to whom you were referring to."

Puck bristled in anger, "Hey, I was doing you a favour-"

She laughed hollowly. "A favour? How is airing my dirty laundry and making me once again the subject of gossip and ridicule doing me any favours Noah?" Tears shone in her chocolate gaze and Rachel swallowing thickly. "I thought it went without saying that what happened to me on Saturday night was not something I wanted made public at this school. That it becoming common knowledge would probably be detrimental in allowing me to even _function,_ because I'm not doing that now Noah, functioning." She choked on a sob. "I'm just an empty shell and I can't fathom how to go about feeling normal again."

He made to get up and move toward her but she held her hand up. "Please don't touch me." She requested softly, glancing away from his intense hazel eyes.

Puck dropped to sit back down on the makeshift exam table, his gut clenching.

"Rach I didn't mean to-" he ran an agitated hand over the prickles on his head. 'Shit, all I was thinking about was that fucker walking around for one second longer thinking he'd got away with it."

"Alex Lagenthol? How do you know he was the one that…" She trailed off, hugging herself and he was tortured, wanting to haul her into his arms. "Israel. He has pictures."

Rachel looked like she was going to be sick. "Pictures?"

Puck nodded, "Of Lagenthol, taking you upstairs after he drugged you."

She felt marginally relieved. "But not of the actual…"

"Hell no!" he exclaimed in distaste. "Do you think Jewfro would still be breathing if he had that on his phone?"

She sighed, "Oh Noah, when are you going to learn that violence isn't the answer? Did you really need to attack Jacob today?"

"Seriously? You're really angry at me for that?" He asked incredulously.

Rachel finally met his gaze. "I'm not angry at you. I'm just a little surprised at your behaviour."

"MY behaviour?"

"From what I understand, you scared Jacob half to death-"

"He had it coming."

"You caused him to wet his pants in public Noah. I'm not saying Jacob isn't completely creepy, but isn't that a little extreme?"

"Fuck no." Puck cursed darkly. "He takes pictures of you, like all the fucking time. He's practically stalking you. He's lucky I didn't gouge his eyes out with a freaking spoon." He paused. 'I still might."

She smiled unexpectedly and he relaxed slightly at the change in her demeanour. "Come on Berry, march your tight little ass over here and give me a hug. After spending the entire day belting the shit out of people for you, don't you think I deserve one?" he teased lightly, and she found that she was not immune to the Puckerman charm as he flashed her a lazy half grin.

"Noah, I think you might deserve more than a hug for the lengths you went to today just for me." Rachel decided seriously as she wound her arms around his neck, keeping space between there bodies so she could inspect his battered face.

He watched her lashes flicker as her eyes followed the trail of her fingers ghosting over his cheek. He hissed painfully when she accidentally pressed too hard in a tender spot and she murmured an apology.

Puck snaked his arm around her waist as she stood between his legs and continued her lengthy appraisal. She missed nothing, wincing when she took one of his hands in hers, rubbing her thumb gently over the swollen knuckles. Given Puck's considerable talent on the guitar, she had spent more time than she cared to admit watching his long fingers strum the instrument and seeing them now stained with blood, added to her guilt.

"I hate that you got hurt because of me." She lamented, her voice cracked.

He grasped her chin with his other hand and forced her to look at him. "Not because of you. I got hurt _for_ you." He differentiated awkwardly.

Rachel smiled again appreciating the sentiment. "That's sweet of you Noah. Whilst I _should_ reprimand you for acting like a Neanderthal, I can't begrudge your actions when I confess I would welcome the chance to deal out a little retribution myself."

"Babe, I'm not even close to be done with those fuckers." He assured her stroking her cheek and letting his hand fall.

She let out a heavy sigh and leaned into him grasping his shoulders tighter, the warmth of his bare skin soaking into her being.

Puck ignored the pain in his ribs as she pressed into him and rubbed his face against her hair. They stayed like that for a while until the inner door was opened, breaking them apart. Ms Pillsbury stood nervously at the threshold, her wide gaze darting between the two. "Rachel, Puck. The police are still here and would like you to come back to the Principles office to go over your statements again. For some insane reason, they prefer to do it here and not at the station."

"_Still_ here?" Rachel looked at Puck.

"Figgins called them when I showed him the photos on Israel's phone. They took my statement on everything that happened since Saturday night." He explained as he jumped up and sought out his soiled shirt.

While he was busy dressing, Ms Pillsbury turned her attention to the fiddling brunette. "Now Rachel, you need to prepare yourself. They are just finishing up with Alex Langenthol and his father at the moment. Will you be alright?"

Rachel felt Noah thread his fingers through hers and she looked up seeking his reassurance. "I'm right here Rach." He repeated his words from last night and she nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's go."

Fortunately, afternoon classes were still in session so the hallways were deserted as the two teenagers followed after their guidance counsellor. Rachel stared at the ground as Noah gently pulled her along behind him, intentionally blocking out her thoughts by reciting the open number to Cabaret under her breath.

Puck heard her quiet humming and slowed his steps as they approached the main office. Rachel looked up at the same time and spied the back of a blonde haired boy seated in front of Figgins' desk, which was currently being utilized by the same heavyset policeman and serene looking police woman who had taken her report the day before. She stopped in her tracks, forcing Noah to halt with her.

"Are you ok?"

She didn't hear him as she continued to stare, her stomach churning.

As if he could feel her eyes trained on her Alex turned around, and with the office's glass walls between them, Rachel finally came face to face with her attacker.

Puck saw her begin to sway and he pulled her close to his side to steady her. "You can do this Rach." He reassured her and she shook her head helplessly, unable to tear her gaze from Alex's battered face. If she hadn't been told who he was beforehand, there's no way she could have known it to be him. Puck had certainly done a number on him. Not only was his jaw broken, strapped sloppily in stark white gauze, but the rest of his face had been so obviously pummelled that none of his features were recognisable.

Rachel jumped as she felt a hand on her opposite shoulder and was thankful to see her father who had been waiting with a loitering Mr Shue. "Hi Dad."

"Can you do this Princess? I can tell the police that you need some time if you need to collect yourself."

"No, I need this to be over."

Things were wrapping up inside the office. The two police officers were conversing with themselves and Alex stood, waiting for his father to finish speaking with Principle Figgins. Puck pushed Rachel behind him when Alex followed his father out, and the pair brushed past them without a word.

While Puck was internally debating whether to ignore the adults around and jump Langenthol a second time, he and Rachel were called into the room. They sat side by side, with Rachel's father standing behind her chair, one large hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder. Mr Shue, Ms Pillsbury and Principle Figgins stood off to the side.

Officer Jerkins shuffled the papers in front of him and cleared his throat.

"Firstly Ms Berry, do you have anything you need to add to your statement? Have you remembered anything from Saturday night- not what you might have heard or been shown, but what you actually recall?"

Rachel reluctantly shook her head and both police officers exchanged a glance.

"Well." The Officer took a minute to formulate his thoughts.

"We have taken Mr Pukerman's statement, and whilst it may seem like we are building a solid case with the revelation that there are pictures relating to the alleged attack on Saturday night, we have run into a problem."

Puck tensed beside her and Rachel gripped tighter to his hand. "What kind of fucking problem?"

No one reprimanded his language.

The police woman took over. "Officer Jerkins and I took a look at Mr Israel's phone and unfortunately, as Mr Langenthols father- who is incidentally a criminal lawyer- pointed out, the cellular device was obtained without permission from the owner and we looked through it without a search warrant."

'Which means what?" Rachel found herself asking and the police woman hesitated. "A warrantless search is a violation of the fourth amendment, unless it is searched at the time of an arrest as a means to rule out a weapon or items that can be linked to an alleged crime."

"But those pictures proved that he was probably the one who drugged her and showed him dragging her upstairs!" Puck exploded, dropping Rachel's hand as he jumped out of his seat.

Officer Jerkins stood also and told Puck to calm himself and sit back down, which he did, grudgingly. "If Mr Langenthol argues the privacy issue in court, which he will, the pictures, if they haven't already been deleted by Mr Israel, will become inadmissible."

"This is ridiculous!" The elder Berry yelled his dark skin flushing with anger. "So you're saying you know that punk did it, but you can't use the only evidence we have to nail him for it?"

Both police officers made apologetic gestures. "There is no evidence. The photographs do not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Ms Berry was taken upstairs unwillingly, nor does it prove that Mr Langenthol was the one who sexually assaulted her. His story is that he believed Ms Berry to be intoxicated and helped her into a spare bedroom so she could sleep it off. He claims she was fine when he left her."

"That's fucking bullshit!" Puck flew out his chair again and started throwing curses that more than one adult present felt like repeating.

"So that's it?" the mohawked teen kicked angrily at the side of the desk. "Case closed, no one gets arrested or fucking punished for breaking the goddamn law?!"

Officer Jenkins looked uncomfortable. "Well, no that's not entirely true. There are charges to be pressed."

"Thank fucking god!" Puck exclaimed, throwing his hands up. 'So there _is_ something you can get him on?"

The officers shook their heads, causing confusion amongst everyone in the room.

"Actually Mr Puckerman, the charges are against you."

Rachel gasped as Puck went white and the Policeman delivered the startling revelation.

"Noah Puckerman, you are under arrest for the aggravated assault of Alex Langenthol."


	11. Chapter 10

_**AN: Booooo, I'm so lazy. It's disgustingly hot in Melbourne and at the moment I'd rather go to the beach with my gorgeous nieces than fix everything I disliked in this chapter. You wonderful, wonderful reviewers deserve a hell of a lot more from me so I promise the next chapter will be up soon and Alex shouldn't get comfortable, because me thinks he's not getting off as easily as he thinks. **_

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Puck sat on the cold concrete floor of his jail cell, ignoring the drunken ramblings of hobo Larry sprawled out on the only bench seat a few feet away. He could smell the stench of the old man's rotting coat from where he sat and he turned his head to stare unseeingly through the steel bars to the yellowing wall on the other side.

He'd been here for hours. Four other miscreants had come and gone since he had been led, handcuffed, to his current location and Puck was beginning to wonder if he'd ever be let out. Rachel's father had nearly popped a blood vessel when the Officer had announced Puck was under arrest and had assured the teen that he would be in touch with the Berry family lawyer post haste to cut through the bullshit of the situation and get him out.

The mohawked teen had been surprised by Mr Berry's determination to help him, but he supposed the almighty fit Rachel had thrown at the news was enough to spur her father into action. She'd been through enough that weekend, and the last thing her fragile emotional state needed was the worry over his worthless ass.

Rachel had burst into tears the second the metal bracelets had been shackled to his wrists, throwing her arms around him and refusing to let go, hindering the efforts of the police woman who had been reading Puck his Miranda rights and attempting to lead him out to the waiting squad car.

He'd tried to calm her down, telling her that he was a badass and could look after himself but he felt like he was lying to himself. Not being able to hug her back, with his hands restrained behind his back, he had kissed her cheek and flippantly told her to bake him a cake- preferably with a crowbar inside.

His false bravado deserted him and he'd practically wept along with her when the Officer Jerkin's hand pressed on his shaved scalp, forcing his head down as he was helped into the backseat. Rachel had stood vigil curb side with her father, Mr Shue and Ms Pillsbury as Puck was driven away. He had tried to give her a smile but had a feeling he'd grimaced instead.

The echo of a door being opened drew Puck from his contemplation and he was surprised to see Finn amble down the narrow corridor and over to where he sat. "Hey man." His former best friend grinned, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweater. "This is a good look for you."

Puck glowered as the tall boy bunkered on the ground near him on the other side of the bars, his long legs folding awkwardly so he could fit in the narrow space between the cell and the wall. 'Are you even allowed to be in here? Isn't it like, against the rules or something?"

Finn shrugged, "I help coach the Lima little league with the Lieutenant in charge. He said it was ok. Besides, they're required to feed you and I brought you a present, courtesy of Rachel." Out of his sweatshirt Finn pulled a package of hostess cupcakes and Pucks eyes lit up as he grabbed for them.

Tearing the plastic open with his teeth, he shoved one in his mouth in its entirety. "Oomygodddd." He groaned appreciatively, crumbs flying out of his mouth as he spoke. Finn grimaced and flicked a small chunk of chocolate from his leg. "Say it man, don't spray it." Puck grinned at him, flashing chocolate covered teeth and reached for the second treat. "If I could live on these bad boys alone, I would." Puck informed him blithely, all his worries temporarily forgotten, which Finn reckoned was the point and why Rachel had suggested that snack in particular.

"Why _are_ you here." Puck asked when he'd licked the sticky icing from his fingers.

"Rachel sent me; she thought you might need a friend." Finn answered and Puck snorted in disbelief. "She thought I needed a friend? And what, you volunteered for the job? You hate my guts. I slept with your girlfriend remember? It's the reason you've spent the last few months not talking to me."

Finn's eyes narrowed. "You don't need to remind me."

Puck had nothing to say, and they sat in silence for enough time that the wheezing snores from the now sleeping hobo echoed around the small concreted space. After a while, Finn unexpectedly asked a question that had Puck floored. "Do you remember in the third grade, when you threw sand in Brittany's face and got us both in time out?"

Puck furrowed his eyebrow in confusion. "Dude, do you think I remember what happened last week let alone 10 freaking years ago? What the fuck has that got to do with anything?"

"Well I remember, because Ms Anderson recommended you see a psychiatrist when you claimed you didn't do it, Puck did. She thought you had a split personality."

Puck shook his head dismissively, stretching his legs out in front of him and letting his head full back against the wall with a thud. "Are you going somewhere with this Hudson? Because you're cutting into my nap time and I've had pretty shitful day."

Finn kicked his foot through the gap in the bars and fixed him with an irritated look.

"Just listen man, I'm trying to tell you something."

Letting out a long suffering sigh, Puck made a rolling motion with his hand, "Continue."

"See the thing is, Ms Anderson was right, you kinda do have 2 sides to you."

"You're saying I'm fucking crazy?"

"I'm saying, there's Puck who is a complete prick to everyone." When Puck made a sound of protest Finn fixed him with a look. "Dude, you throw people in dumpsters. You wanted to tip Artie, _our friend who's in a wheelchair_, upside down in a portaloo."

"He wasn't our friend at the time." Puck tried to justify unsuccessfully. "Ok so that wasn't one of my better ideas." He conceded when Finn continued to stare at him.

"Dude, sometime you just do these really shitty things and it seems like you don't give a fuck about people's feelings but it's such a crock. Your stupid 'badassness' or whatever you want to call it just isn't _you_." Finn took a breath. "You can sleep with dozens of cougars and tap every single girl at our school but it's not going to change who you are deep down inside. Because you're actually a good guy. A guy who watches the little mermaid to keep his sister happy and obsessively checks the air in his mom's tyres so she has one less thing to worry about."

"And I don't know where that guy went this year, but I miss him."

Puck considered Finns rambling and was dismayed to discover there was some kind of truth to it. "I don't know either. I guess I have been a dick."

Finn nodded in agreement.

"Man, you know I am really sorry for that whole Quinn thing." Puck scratched behind his ear almost nervously. "I shouldn't have let her drag it out and make you think that Drizzle was yours. That sucked."

'You call her Drizzle?" Finn perked up.

"Yeah dude, it's like the best baby name ever." He replied seriously.

"It really is!" Finn and Puck shared a grin and bumped fists through the bars.

"So we're cool man?" the mohawked boy asked hesitantly and Finn nodded. "Yeah, you know, as long as you don't snake anymore of my girls."

Aware that he may be rocking the foundation of their renewed friendship, Puck couldn't help stating firmly "Berry's not your girl."

Finn considered him carefully. "I know that, I'm just trying to figure out when exactly she became yours."

Puck shot him a look that clearly said he belonged in the Looney bin."You're on crack man. We're friends that's all. There's nothing untoward going on with me and Rachel."

"Untoward?" Finn was amused. "Right. You've been mooning after her for months, you're just too stupid to do anything about it."

Puck bristled in mock annoyance. "Pot. Kettle. Black, dumbass. I'm not the one who followed her around like a love sick puppy. Maybe I backed off so you could get your act together and date her like you should have in the very beginning when Berry first fixed her stalker eyes on you."

"Says you who eats lunch with her every day and buys grape flavoured slushies, _which you hate_, just because you know she'll want a sip but is too worried about the calorie count to actually get one of her own. You hold her purse while she pees man." Finn countered with a smile.

'I do fucking not!" Puck denied vehemently, his face turning all sorts of red. "Ok that was one god damn time but I-" Finn was laughing so hard, tears rolled down his cheeks. Puck sulked until the Quarterback's chuckles subsided.

"Rachel's good for you." Finn realized. "I approve."

Puck rolled his eyes at his friends self importance. "Gee thanks." He let out a sigh and ran a hand over the swollen side of his face. "She is good for me," he admitted eventually "But she sure as hell deserves better." He lifted his head and met the other boys gaze. "I'm scared I'm going to hurt her."

Finn cocked his head in consideration. "Puck might." He agreed, holding steadfast when Puck's defeated expression turned into a glare. "But I know _Noah _would rather 'light himself on fire' than do anything to hurt the woman he could potentially love."

Puck looked like someone had punched him in the gut. "Who said anything about love?"

Finn's eyebrows shot through the roof and Puck rolled his eyes again, "Alright." He grumbled, "Just don't say anything to anyone. I don't really want to deal with that when there's already enough shit going on."

The taller boy glanced around the room worriedly. "Yeah I'll say. You're in jail man."

Puck let out a bark of laughter. "You've been sitting here for an hour and you've just realized that?"

"Naw man, I got it but I mean, HOLY CRAP!"

"I know right? I'm sitting here and fucking Langenthol is out there walking around like his shit don't stink."

Both boys were shaking there heads. "We'll figure something out. He can't get away with what he did to Rachel. If the cops can't make any dirt stick, we'll dig some more up." Finn promised and Puck was grateful to have his friend back.

The jingle of keys had the two footballers looking up to see Officer Jerkins striding toward the cell. "Time to go Puckerman, your girlfriend just posted your bail."

"Bail?" he asked as he stood, the muscles in his thighs protesting.

"5,000 bucks." The Officer confirmed, turning the key in the lock and beckoning the teen out. "You're free to go and can collect your belongings at the front desk. The details of your court hearing will be mailed to you in a few days."

Rachel flew into his arms the second Puck was in her sight. "Oh Noah, was it terrible? I can't believe they detained you for so long." She fretted squeezing him tight and looking over his shoulder at Finn before he could answer her. "Did you have a chance to converse and sort out your differences?"

Puck pulled back and glanced suspiciously between the brunette and Finn, the latter who was ducking his head sheepishly. "I may have asked to talk to you alone for a while. I figured it was time to clear the air, and having a set of bars between us wasn't such a bad idea if things turned ugly."

Puck punched his arm lightly and scowled. "And you encouraged him?" He asked Rachel in disbelief and she shrugged, "Yes. It was successful, was it not? And besides, it gave me ample opportunity to formally make your mother's acquaintance."

Puck straightened and looked around in alarm. "Shit, my Mom's here?"

Rachel crossed her arms, "Noah, you were arrested. Of course your mother is here."

At precisely that moment the hair of the back of Puck's neck stood on end and he turned slowly to face a sombre looking Mrs Puckerman who was flanked by both of Rachel's fathers. "Hey Mom, what's up?"

The older woman fixed her son with a scowl that all assembled were amazed to see had a cowering effect on the young man. "What's up? WHAT'S UP?" she screeched.

Puck held up his hands in surrender and walked slowly towards her. "Calm down Mom, this is all a misunderstanding."

She tapped her foot impatiently, "Oh so Max Langenthol is mistaken when he says that you broke his son's jaw is he?" Puck shuffled his feet, "Alex's face might have connecting with my fist but he-"

"I know," Mrs Puckerman interrupted, flashing a sympathetic glance Rachel's way. "I'm not condoning your actions Noah, but I'm proud of you for standing up for your friend. However, sneaking out last night? Not on buddy, you're grounded."

"Aww Mom."

"Say goodbye to Rachel and Finn." His mother was wearing her no nonsense look and Puck knew it was fruitless to argue so he reluctantly shook hands with Finn and brushed a kiss against Rachel's cheek. "And to think I wanted out of that cell." He muttered as he crossed to the desk to pick up his wallet and cell phone.

He nodded to both Mr Berry's and with a last glance at Rachel followed his mother out of the station. He hated lectures, and he had a feeling the one his mother was rehearsing was going to be a doozey.


	12. Chapter 11

_**AN: My boss is unhappy with me. Apparently if I was to dedicate half us much enthusiasm to my work as I do to reading & writing fanfic, I'd be a shoe-in for employee of the month. I figure if my work place had a Mark Salling my attention would never be diverted, just saying :)**_

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Rachel had received a text from Puck shortly after they had all left the police station, that had basically said he was under house arrest after his mother had torn strips off of him for his behaviour that day. So when she looked away from the movie she had been engrossed in to see her window inching up and Puck's head appear, Rachel was understandably surprised.

"Does your mother know you're here?" she asked, scooting over so he could flop comfortably next to her.

"Not exactly." He confirmed her suspicions with a boyish grin. "But I left my truck at home and walked over, so I doubt she'll notice I'm gone. Aladdin Berry, really?"

She hit him with a throw pillow and settled back against the headboard, her arm brushing his. "I adore this movie. If you have a problem with my choice you can always leave." She arched her eyebrow knowing he was anywhere, which was evident as he raised his arm and encouraged her to snuggle closer into his side.

It wasn't until Apu and Aladdin had escaped the Cave of Wonders with the stolen lamp, that Puck allowed his curiosities to get the best of him. "Long day huh?" he began generally, watching her fingers trace random patterns on his stomach. She nodded her head in acquiescence, resolutely staring at the screen at the end of her bed.

Her atypical silence was disturbing and he was bemused that he had spent the better part of the last few days trying to get Rachel Berry to talk to him about her feelings. "Just ask me Noah." She sighed after a beat of silence and much to his dismay, moved away from him to sit cross legged on the middle of the bed.

"Ask you what?" Puck hedged, reaching for her hand.

Rachel laced her fingers with his and rested their joined hands on her thigh, gazing patiently at him. "You want to know how I'm coping with the revelation of Alex Langenthol being the one to attack me, coupled with the knowledge that it seems as though the police are content to let him get away with it."

He stayed silent, absorbed with watching her fidget. She sighed quietly and tried to gather her scattered thoughts. 'I suppose," she began hesitantly "That I am somewhat relieved that I know who is responsible for assaulting me." She chewed the inside of her cheek, a faraway look in her eyes. "Not that I could possibly have envisioned who would do such a thing, but I thought that when I knew who it was, it might make sense." Rachel shook her head slightly. "That sounds terrible doesn't it?" Her focus sharpened and she looked at him in askance.

"But it doesn't help. I just can't fathom why Alex would do such a thing, I have never even spoken to him. What is it about me that always makes me the target?" Her lower lip trembled and Puck shifted on the mattress so he was kneeling in front of her.

"Fuck Rach," he rasped lowly, at a loss as to what he could say to take away the hurt emanating from her chocolate brown eyes. "It's not about you baby."

"Of course it's about me." She brushed away a stray tear with her free hand. "I've always been the favourite source of ridicule at our school. The slushies, the pornographic pictures on the bathroom walls…"

Puck was ashamed for his part in her torment and if he was honest with himself, as he pulled her gently to him and enveloped her in his arms, it was more to calm his own emotional imbalance than providing any sort of comfort to her.

"Alex Langenthol has no excuse for what he did to you." Puck said tightly, and Rachel shifted so she too was kneeling, comfortable in his embrace.

"Maybe if I wasn't so vocal, or if I wore more conservative-"

"Rachel." Puck interrupted, putting some space between them so he could capture her gaze, his own burning with intensity. "Stop it. You're amazing. Your focus and your talent makes you extraordinary, and while the rest of us burn with jealously, it doesn't excuse our behaviour or justify any of the things we did to tear you down."

"Noah please don't talk like you're grouping yourself with him." She begged softly.

"I'm not just talking about that prick. I'm talking about everything! I invented the slushie attacks Rachel, I made it my mission to make you miserable." He let her go and sprang off the bed, pacing agitatedly up and down her room. "If you really believe that you were a target, then it's me that painted the great big bullseye on your back."

Rachel couldn't stand the way his features had twisted in torment and she went and stopped him mid-pace, placing her palms on his chest and looking up at him.

"You shouldn't do this to yourself." She chastised quietly and he sighed.

"It's not like it actually made me feel good, you know." He whispered, troubled. "In fact, when you had ice dripping down your face and you got that determined look about you that said you were trying not to cry, I felt like the biggest asshole. How can you even stand to be friends with me after I did that to you?"

Rachel slid her arms around his neck and on impulse, stood on tiptoes so she could kiss him softly, her lips brushing over the split in his own. "Listen to yourself Noah. You just said you felt horrid doing those things. Don't you think I know that? You apologized when you got slushied yourself, and I forgave you remember?"

"It doesn't seem like enough." He said morosely, wrapping his arms around her waist and leaning into her.

"Noah, you got arrested today because of me. You're facing criminal charges for protecting my honour. That's not enough?"

Their exchange was interrupted by loud footfalls on the stairs and they could hear one side of a telephone conversation when Rachel's Daddy stopped outside her door.

"Sarah, Rachel is aware that Noah is grounded. I'm sure if he had shown up here she would have sent him home and reminded him of the restrictions you have implemented." Mr Berry was saying and the two teens looked at each other wide eyed as the door swung open.

The short robust man gaped at the two of them, standing stock still with their arms still around each other, and his face turned pink as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. Rachel's other father entered the room and after he too caught sight of his daughter and her guest, he burst into laughter, ignoring the look of censorship from his husband. "James, let me talk to Noah's mother."

'James' handed the phone over and crossed his arms. Puck made no move to release her so Rachel was content to remain where she was, resting her head against his chest as they both watched her father talk to his mother over the phone.

"Noah is here, and we'll send him along home in a few minutes." The dark skinned man was quiet for a moment as she responded. "Remember the conversation we had this afternoon at the station? In light of Noah's disobedience, does your offer still stand?" he glanced between his daughter and Puck, nodding slightly at what he heard. "We haven't spoken to them yet but I appreciate that. I'll talk to you soon."

He disconnected the call and turned toward the two teenagers. "Noah, your mother said to tell you she's extremely disappointed that you violated her house rules and there will be an extra week tacked on to your punishment." The message was ruined by the amusement in the older man's tone.

"Understood." Noah replied for lack of anything better to say and he looked down at Rachel. "I guess I have to go then."

"Okay." She said even as she tightened her hold around his neck. "Can you call me when you get home?" She requested casting a cautious look at her fathers. "Just to-"

"Say goodnight?" he finished and she nodded. Puck ran his fingers gently through her hair. "No problem, and if you need me I'll-" he stopped, also sneaking a glance at her parents. "Be under house arrest." He sighed and flashed her a small smile.

The shorter Mr Berry was glaring at Puck while the other one cleared his throat, "Actually Noah, your mother gave permission for Rachel to stay over with you."

"Really?" Rachel breathed while Puck looked on in surprise. Mr Berry nodded, "Make no mistake, this is an arrangement that will be honoured for a limited time only." He spared a glance for his husband who looked as if he had a sour taste in his mouth and then focused back on his daughter. "But we, along with Noah's mother, are not unaware of your little sleepover last night and realize that anything that helps you honey, in dealing with what happened to you, is not something we can deprive you of."

Puck had the grace to duck his head as he and Rachel discovered their clandestine visit the night before wasn't as secret as they presumed. "So you're ok with Rachel staying over at my house?" he clarified and the other Mr Berry made a sound of protest. "Well obviously we would prefer to have our daughter under our own roof." The short man huffed, "But we acknowledge your mother's desire to keep you close after your little altercations today, so we hardly have a choice in the matter."

"Daddy," Rachel reprimanded softly and her father pursed his lips but said no more.

"Rachel honey, why don't you change and pack an overnight bag and I'll wait with Noah downstairs, where you'll both exit via the front door." The taller of her fathers suggested.

Puck chuckled, deciding he liked this Mr Berry. Squeezing Rachel's shoulder, he exited the bedroom behind her Dad, nodding at her other father who remained behind with his daughter.

He trooped downstairs and entered the living area, sitting on the armchair Mr Berry indicated.

"Thanks for understanding Mr Berry." Puck said, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. "I'm not sure why, but Rachel seems to feel a little better with me around and I'd hate to not be there for her after a day like today."

"Call me Andrew, or Andy, it might make things easier." Mr Berry paused and studied the Mohawked teen. Yes his haircut was quite suspect, but he had a good feeling about the boy.

"Noah, I never got the chance today to thank you for taking care of my daughter. I'm glad you were with her after-" he swallowed thickly and Puck felt his own heart constrict as it did every time he had to recall the look on Rachel's face when he'd ran into her at Matt's party, which his brain seemed determined to replay for him every few minutes.

"And as for your actions today, well as you can imagine my own hands are tied when it comes to that piece of filth, so I am forever indebted to you for the way you chose to deal with him."

A look of understanding passed between them and if Puck didn't know better, he thought that Rachel's father had just thanked him for giving Alex Langenthol the smack down he deserved.

"My pleasure."

"Noah, can I ask you a question and please know that I ask out of curiosity and mean nothing by it." Andrew proposed.

Puck nodded although he was somewhat apprehensive about what was coming.

"Its just that while we've never seen you and Rachel together, you two seem quite comfortable with each other, in spite of the events of the weekend, and I wonder whether you two have ever-"

"We dated a while back, only for a week." Puck explained honestly. "We've been friends for a few months now I guess."

Andrew considered this, "And it didn't work out between you two because…?"

Puck shrugged, "We gave it a go even though we were both into other people at the time. And by the time I discovered Rachel was a keeper, she'd realized I wasn't worth her time."

Rachel dropping her overnight bag with a thud in the entryway drew their attention;

She looked upset. "Noah why do you say such things?" He met her halfway as she strode towards him, "I can't stand it when you take such a disparaging view of yourself."

"I'm sorry. Are you ready to go?" Puck apologized automatically and effectively changed the subject. Rachel gave him a look that said they'd be discussing this later, but nodded. "Yes. Since you are without your usual mode of transportation, we can take my Prius." Puck held out his hand for the keys and she handed them over, bestowing kisses on both her father's cheeks as Puck shouldered her overnight bag and waited for her to say her goodbyes.

"Goodnight Mr Berry," Puck said to the father who had yet to warm to him and held out his hand to shake both his, then Andrew's hand. "Thanks again Andy."

Andrew Berry squeezed his hand and let go, smiling at the teen and motioned them to be on their way. "Take care of her Noah and we'll see you soon alright?"

Rachel was shooting considerate glances between Puck and her father and shook off the feeling that she was missing something. "Goodnight Dad, Daddy."

Both of her fathers stood at the door, watching as Puck stowed Rachel's bag in the backseat and held the passenger door open for her. It took some fiddling with the seat mechanisms before Puck was comfortable behind the wheel of the tiny car, then he had them reversing out of the driveway and heading in the direction of his house.

James waved and closed the front door when the tail lights were out of view, turning his attention to his husband who was already half way into the living area.

"So I needn't ask what you make of the Puckerman boy." He said to Andrew as he pouted and flung himself into his favourite recliner. "It seems like you two have formed your very own mutual admiration society." It wasn't that James disliked Puck, or that he wasn't thankful that he so obviously cared for his daughter. He was just well informed when it came to the Lima gossip mill and Noah Puckerman was a popular topic amongst the mid 30-40 year old set. Understandably, the boy's reputation made him apprehensive.

Andrew poured himself a small glass of brandy from the wetbar and smiled at his husband's moodiness. "I like him." The taller man confirmed and patted James's shoulder as he sat in an adjoining chair. "Rachel could do a lot worse you know, and let's not forget, he is Jewish."

James perked up at that and managed a smile. "This is true, and I suppose he is terribly attractive. Just think how cute their children would be!'

"Let's hope that's a ways off yet." Andrew replied with a toothy grin as he flicked on ESPN, leaving his partner to daydream about mohawked grandchildren and big lavish weddings.

* * *

_The next morning…_

Puck was unceremoniously yanked from slumber by a high pitched "NOAH! NOAH! NOAH!", resonating in his ear. He groaned, shoving his head under his pillow in a vain attempt to block out his sister's chanting.

"Go away Beth, its too early."

The little girl was silent for a few minutes, before her tiny frame jumped up onto his double bed and she proceeded to bounce up and down, "WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!"

"AGH!" Puck threw his pillow at her head and she giggled and dodged the flying object. "Did you have sugar for breakfast or something?" he grumbled as he turned over and blearily rubbed his eyes.

"Nope, pancakes. Rachel made them for me and Mom says if you don't get your bum downstairs you get none and she's going to make your sentence for life." Beth cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "What does she mean by sentence and can I have one?"

At the mention of Rachel's name Puck looked beside him and sure enough, the space next to him was vacant. He fought the disappointed of not waking up with her beside him and then berated himself for going soft. "You don't want a sentence." He informed his sister as he reluctantly got up and pulled her downstairs with him. 'It means you're in the shit for life."

'Noah said the S-word!" Beth tattled as she scampered into the kitchen ahead of her big brother. Puck had to double take as he was accosted by two disapproving stares and he grinned sheepishly, wishing his mom a good morning before crowding Rachel by the stove. "Wattcha making me?" He questioned childishly as he pressed into her back and peered over her shoulder at the sizzling frypan.

The brunette elbowed him lightly as she spooned the pancake mixture into the pan. "Blueberry pancakes." She answered wiping a trickle of mixture from her hand with a dishrag. "There's some freshly squeezed juice in the fridge if you'd like some."

When Rachel had skilfully flipped the pancake and Puck was certain his breakfast was in good hands, he helped himself to the juice and plopped into his chair. His gaze met his mother's who was looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

_**Shit.**_

Mrs Puckerman had been suspiciously silent upon his return last night, surprisingly saying nothing about his violation of the rules she had laid out only hours before. Puck attributed that to Rachel and had figured he was safe for as long as the petite diva was present, but from the looks of it, his mother had something to say.

"Sleep well?" she enquired pleasantly, taking a sip from her coffee cup.

'Well enough." He replied warily, his glance flickering from his mother to their house guest and back again.

'Hmm." She made a non committal sound and Puck fiddled with his cutlery.

Mother and Son stared at each other until Rachel placed a large stack of pancakes in front of Puck and took the seat next to him with a short stack of her own.

"Will you be attended classes today Rachel?" Mrs Puckerman asked, her expression softening as she watched the younger girl reach for the maple syrup. Rachel shook her head, offering the bottle to Puck when she was done and replied, "My fathers thought it best I remain absent for the rest of the week, in light of the current circumstances. I shouldn't think I'd be missing out on much now that finals are over and Ms Pillsbury has offered to collect the summer homework from my teachers."

Puck paused with a forkful of breakfast midway to his mouth. "It's probably best that I stay home too huh Mom? You know, in light of the circumstances." He parroted hopefully.

Mrs Puckerman narrowed her eyes, "Nice try." She scoffed. "If there's one thing you need Noah Puckerman, it's some academic structure. _C__onsidering the circumstances_." Puck had to silently applaud his mother's underhanded sarcasm and thought that was the end of it until Rachel nonchalantly piped up.

"Your mother's right Noah, while typically the last week of school is widely considered the 'slacking' off period, seeing as the teachers rarely introduce new material, it's the perfect time to revise and get a jump on the next academic year."

Puck was seriously considering stabbing her with a fork because she certainly wasn't helping his case, when Rachel looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

_Too innocent._

"I just want you to promise me Noah, that you won't go _looking_ for Alex Langethol."

She pressed her fingernails into his arm when he went to open his mouth and Rachel cast a quick glance at his mother under her eyelashes. "I'm pretty sure that since charges are being pressed against you, any contact you have with Alex, however incidental, will look like you purposely antagonizing him and it really won't help your case."

"Can you swear that should you run into him, you'll just walk away?"

Puck snickered, Berry _was_ fucking crazy. Of course he could promise no such thing, and maybe that was the point; Mrs Puckerman was looking suitably anxious.

_Definitely the point._

"Noah you _will_ stay away from Alex Langenthol." His mother stated resolutely, leaving no room for argument.

Puck puffed out his chest in anger, not needing to fake the scowl that overtook his features. "No freaking way. I told you I wasn't done with him and if I see him, I'll finish what I started yesterday. Charges or no charges, that son of a bitch is mine."

Mrs Puckerman sighed and looked between the two teenagers who were now both staring at their breakfast plates, with varying degrees of attention.

She'd been had, that much was certain. But Mrs Puckerman knew better than anyone how volatile her son could be, and the risk that he would make things worse for himself if he was to cross paths with Rachel's alleged attacker was too great.

"You're staying home Noah." She sighed again, this time exasperated. "But this is no early summer vacation for you." His mother warned, getting up and taking her plates to the sink. "I expect this house to be spotless when I get home tonight. That includes the washing and ironing, floors vacuumed, lawns mowed… and you can make a start on cleaning the garage too."

Puck was doing a little victory dance in his seat that Rachel was trying desperately not to laugh at, when Mrs Puckerman turned back to him and he stilled.

"Are we clear?"

He couldn't help but grin, which did nothing to erase the doubt in his mother's mind. She studied him for a moment then threw her hands up in irritation. "I'm late for work. Mrs Patterson will be here shortly to pick Beth up for school. Try and stay out of trouble you two, alright?"

Rachel nodded and smiled while Puck didn't dare move, afraid that his mother would suddenly change her mind. "I'll call and check up on you during my break." It was more a warning that a promise and as the older woman left the room, Puck gave Rachel a one armed hugged before tucking back into his pancakes with renewed vigour. "Awesome."

A short time later Puck was showering upstairs when Beth left for school, leaving Rachel the task of stacking the dishwasher. As she wiped down the counter, Beth's forgotten lunch sack caught her attention. "Oh no." The doorbell rang at that precise moment and Rachel snatched up the bag, thinking Beth or Mrs Patterson had come back for the missing item.

Rachel tugged self consciously at the bottom of Noah's old McKinnley High t-shirt as she opened the door, her welcoming smile fading when she recognised Jacob Ben-Israel on the screened porch.

"Jacob."

The red head's eyes surveyed her attire, and though Rachel was wearing a tank top and pajama shorts under her makeshift nightie, she felt severely underdressed.

"R-r-achel." He squeaked, his plump face tinging pink.

Rachel was at a loss as to what to say, but before she could blink she had been brushed aside and Puck was striding through the door. A second later Jacob was sprawled out on the ground with the mohawked footballer standing over him, clad only in unbuttoned denim jeans.

"Strike 3 Jewfro. I said 50 feet. You talked _and_ you looked." Rachel shivered at the unbridled fury in Puck's tone and she wrapped both her hands around his bulging bicep.

"Noah, calm down."

He didn't spare her a glance as he watched Jacob scramble to his feet, holding his messenger bag in front of him like a shield. The blogger gulped as he took in the width of Puck's bare torso, seeming all the more intimidating with the water droplets from the shower glistening on his bruised skin. The dude had muscles on his muscles, and Jacob really did not want a repeat of the day before, especially in full view of his lady love.

"What are you doing here? I told you-"

"_Noah_." When he finally looked at her, Rachel pulled him closer to her side. "Given that Jacob is here, _at your house_, I'm sure if you gave him a chance to explain you'd discover he's probably here to see you."

Jacob was nodding frantically. "It's true, I didn't know Rachel would be here, I swear!"

Puck clenched his jaw in frustration trying to reel in his anger. Jacob's unexpected appearance and his subsequent close proximity to Rachel had an unsettling effect on him. "Fine." Puck said tightly. "Start talking. What do you want?"

Jacob's bespectacled gaze darted to Rachel and Puck flexed his fists, Jewfro was REALLY testing his patience. "Hey, Stalker! Eyes right here." Puck clicked his fingers in front of his own face to recapture Jacob's attention.

Jacob adjusted his glasses nervously. "I need to talk to you, about Lagenthol."

Hearing the other boys name while he was so wound up, nearly made Puck's head explode and Rachel, sensing his agitation, fought her own distress and rubbed his arm soothingly. As she did so, she noticed Puck's elderly neighbour watering her pot plants, practically falling over the railing on her porch in her quest to discreetly listen in on the teen's conversation.

"Noah, I think we should take this discussion inside, away from prying eyes." She advised nudging him, and Puck looked up to see Ms Albury loitering next door.

He agreed grudgingly, letting Rachel precede him into the house.

When Jacob made a move to pass by him, Puck halted him with a firm hand on his shoulder. Finding he had nothing to say, Puck settled on a glare that had the other teen involuntarily flinching.

"This better be worth it." Puck warned as he released him and entered the house.

Jacob lifted his chin as he followed. "It is."


	13. Chapter 12

_**AN: I'm eating chocolate and watching the biggest loser. How guilty do I feel?**__**Just thought I'd share that…anyway…. **_

_**200 reviews! Yay for me! It constantly surprises me when I get a review alert or see the number of hits my fic has got and I hope the novelty never wears off. You guys make my day, so thanks!**_

* * *

Puck, Rachel and Jacob stood awkwardly in the crowded Puckerman living room. Noone seemed willing to break the stilted silence that had befallen and stretched between the three of them during the last few minutes.

Puck glanced at Rachel who was shifting restlessly on the spot, tugging on the ends of her long, dark locks. Her face had paled since hearing Jacob declare he had information on Langenthol, and Puck knew she was hanging by a thread.

Having spent so much time with her since her ordeal Puck was getting better at reading her body language that could easily tell him how she was feeling at any given moment. Rachel was a roller coaster of emotions and even when she seemed to relax for just a moment the inevitable tension would soon return, leaving her jumpy and uncommunicative. Nervous fidgeting was a sign she wanted out of the room, discussion or whatever present uncomfortableness was surrounding her at the time, and Puck could see from the way she gazing almost longingly at the door that what Rachel needed most at that moment was an escape.

"Rach," She jumped as his hand touched her forearm. "Why don't you go and take a shower while I talk with Stalker Boy here?"

Relief flooded through her even as she shook her head in disagreement. "I don't think you can be trusted Noah, I have no doubt that you could kill him and dispose of the body before I'm halfway up the stairs."

Jacob pulled uncomfortably at his collar while Puck chuckled in genuine amusement.

"Ouch Berry, you really think so badly of me? I thought there was this unspoken thing that you were by biggest supporter?"

Rachel cupped his jaw and looked up at him in undiluted adoration. "I am. Did I ever tell you you're my hero?"

It was corny, he knew (and if he wasn't mistaken, a complete rip off of Bette Midler) but the softness in her eyes and the sweet inflection in her voice made his stomach flutter. Then again she had put soy milk in the pancake batter, it could just be his guts reaction to _that_.

"Wounded, motherfucking badass hero." He amended gruffly, just for his own self.

Rachel's hand dropped and she smiled at him with exasperated affection. "You really know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

"That's what you get for going all Beaches on my ass."

He grinned and pushed her gently toward the door, swatting her backside playfully. She smiled back and hummed 'Wind Beneath My Wings' as she went.

"Don't even think about using my toothbrush." He warned before she disappeared around the corner, and the humming stopped as she tossed him a disgusted look over her shoulder, muttering something about 'unsanitary' and 'revolting' as she finally left the room.

Puck met Jacob's thoughtful stare and his grin fell.

The footballer schooled his features and sneered as he crossed his arms. "Start talking so you can get the hell out."

Jacob looked somewhat irked at his attitude, pulling his laptop from his messenger bag and kneeling in front of the coffee table as he booted up the machine.

"Alex's dad stopped by my house last night; he wanted to ensure I deleted the pictures on my phone and offered monetary compensation for my trouble." Jacob said without preamble, the Windows logo reflected in his glasses as his computer whirred to life.

"Sonofabitch!" Puck fixed a glare on the other boy. "And did you?"

Jacob watched Puck's muscles dance as he prowled the room restlessly.

"Of course not. When several sources confirmed you had accused Langenthol of rape, I went down to the station to collect my phone and told the police I had given you permission to take it. I signed an affidavit to that fact, so all that stuff about fourth amendments is null and void. The police think they can use the photographs as evidence after all."

Puck was surprised. "Really? That's awesome."

Jacob was shaking his head.

"It's not awesome?" Puck asked, now confused and deflated.

"Without DNA it's all circumstantial. Alex will stick with his statement, and it's a great big case of he said/she said. Only the she in this equation has no recollection of the act, so guess which story the jury will side with?" Jacob summed up, tapping away at his keyboard as he hacked into the Puckerman wireless network.

Puck waited impatiently and Jacob smirked in satisfaction and looked up at the muscular jock. "Ok. So you're obviously aware of my blog-"

"If by blog you mean the virtual shrine you dedicate to obsessively ogling and making sexual comments about various parts of Berry's body, then yes I'm familiar." Puck snapped, his nipple ring catching the morning light as he moved.

"Right." Jacob had turned a beetroot red. "Well, like any blog, readers can make comments on the posts and send direct messages to the author, and the website will keep track of how many hits or views the page has accumulated."

Puck was just staring at him, his face impassive, so Jacob hurried his explanation along. "Given my dedication to reporting all McKinley High's most pertinent events and" Jacob paused delicately, "scandals, you can imagine how many people are avid readers of my prose."

Jacob's chest puffed out in pride and Puck merely arched his eyebrow.

"Make a point, Freak."

"My point is, I had uploaded a short paragraph on your rampage yesterday and even the saga that was Babygate couldn't top the numbers of messages I've got in the last 24 hours. Take a look." Jacob swivelled his laptop around so Puck could rest on his hunches and scroll down the page displayed.

Israel wasn't wrong; there were dozens and dozens of messages, the odd candid cell phone snap (Mike had been right on, Puck's rage had turned his face the colour of a grape slushie) and more than one link to YouTube videos of Pucks altercation with both Alex and Jacob.

Most of the comments were along the lines of Puck being awesome and badass, how Jewfro was a fucking pansy and Langenthol punched like a girl, but there were a few that stuck out from the rest.

Puck's eyes rose from the screen to see Jacob nodding encouragingly at him.

"Do you see them?"

"Are they for real?" Puck asked as reread one comment in particular that had caught his interest, and he scanned the information again with something akin to breathlessness.

"It's hard to say, but as you can see there are comments from three different screen names claiming that Rachel Berry was not the first victim to be drugged and raped by Alex Langenthol." Jacob's tone was inappropriately smug and Puck was about to call him out on it when his head shot up.

"Fuck!" he swore frantically. "They actually mention her by name! Does everyone know it was her?" Rachel's words in the nurse's office yesterday returned to haunt him, and she had been right. The last thing she needed as she tried her best to deal with what happened, was to have her name yet again circulating the halls.

"You two have been pretty chummy lately, it was easy to assume it was Rachel that you were fighting Alex over, especially since everyone overheard you threaten me if I came near her." Jacob confirmed and Puck mentally thanked her father's for their good sense in keeping her out of school.

"FUUUCCKKKKK!" Puck drew out the curse, running an agitated hand through his Mohawk. "Tell me that there's somehow a silver lining in this shitfest Jacob."

It didn't escape the other boys notice that Puck had addressed him by his real name for the very first time. "Well the way I see it is that if there are at least three people out there claiming Langenthol has done this before, it means there has to be evidence or something that'll stick to him, we just have to find it."

Puck's face darkened. "Yeah sure, that sounds like a piece of cake." He said sarcastically, the tiny grain of optimism he had been clinging to these last few minutes, evaporating at the hopelessness of it all. "I thought you had something I could _use_."

'Think, Puck." Jacob urged. "Nothing stays buried in this cow town. If there are indeed more victims, someone out there knows or has seen _something_."

Puck nodded reluctantly, the Weirdo was right.

"Ok." He pursed his lips broodingly. "I guess we start with the comments. We can message them back and ask them for details or… _**WHAT**_?"

Jacob was once again shaking his head and Puck's irritation flared up.

"If you're so sure of the answers why the fuck are you wasting my time?"

Jacob pushed his glasses up his nose. 'I thought of that already and none of them have responded to my queries."

"So then, what? What's the next step, how do we find out what else, or _who else_ Lagenthol's done?"

Jacob was quiet for a moment, contemplating the other teen.

"Not what or who. _How_."

Puck scrunched up his face in confusion. "How?"

"He drugged her right?" At Puck's nod, Jacob continued. "I gather it was a routine date rape pill which isn't so easy to come by in a town as small as ours, and Langenthol is a born and bred Lima loser who isn't all that savvy. He'd have got it here, the question is: from whom?"

Puck gaped at Jacob's perceptiveness. Sure in other towns and cities, trying to find one specific dealer would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But Jacob was correct. Lima was a small town, one which kept few honest to god secrets. Fortunately for the purpose of this conundrum, Puck's badassness had once seen him on friendly terms, rubbing shoulders with the lowest members of Lima's tarnished food chain, and he knew when it came to acquiring the_ best_ of prohibited substances, there was only one guy you went to.

"Dave Morales." Puck stated and Jacob smiled, "Bingo."

Puck flopped onto the couch. "So all I have to do is stroll up to Lima's resident Drug Lord, shoot the breeze and convince him to tell the cops he's been selling date rape drugs to minors. Yeah, great plan Jewfro."

"Do you have a better one?" Jacob enquired mildly as he shutdown his laptop and Puck had to reluctantly acknowledge he didn't. It was a long shot, but it was all they had to go on. "I didn't think so, we just need to work on the delivery that's all."

Puck considered Jacob carefully. "Why are you helping? What's in it for you?"

There was no malice in his enquiry, just avid curiosity. Jacob shrugged, fiddling with the strap on his bag. "We're not all that dissimilar, you and I." Jacob said, his confidence abandoning him as his voice quivered nervously, broaching the touchy subject. "Sure I may be slightly more…ardent in my appreciation for Rachel, but my feelings for her are real. I want Alex Lagenthol to pay for what he did, just as much as you do."

Puck doubted that.

Lagenthol was number one on his most wanted list and there hadn't been nearly enough blood spilt for his liking. He coolly regarded his newfound ally. Israel was many things: creepy, invasive, perverted, deranged- just to name a few. But Puck supposed he was still just a teenage boy, sweet on a girl. And Puck could maybe, just maybe, accept his reasoning at face value.

"I'm not going to say no to the help that's for sure but just so we're clear, nothing's changed. Berry's still off limits, you got that?" His tone was stern and Jacob's face fell.

"Yeah."

"Good." Puck stood. "I guess we need to come up with a plan to get Morales to co-operate or confess. If you think of anything, give me a call."

Jacob said he would and Puck walked the wannabe reporter to the door before going upstairs in search of the absent Berry.

Rachel was sitting on the desk chair, pulling the elastic band from the messy bun she had wound her hair into for her shower, when he sat opposite her on his conspicuously neat bed. She shot him a glare and the proceeded to ignore his presence as she finished her task, crossing to his mirrored closet door to pull a wide tooth comb through her wavy locks.

He watched her reflection and her gaze eventually found his. Rachel pursed her lips like she wanted to say something, and then faltered. With a last, almost vicious tug on a particularly stubborn knot, she turned to face him. Crossing her arms almost defensively she asked stiffly, "What did Jacob have to say?"

Puck took his time answering, noting her rigid posture and instead beckoned her over, patting the space next to him invitingly. Rachel refused to budge, shotting daggers in his direction and he sighed in annoyance, _so she was going to be difficult was she?_

"Care to remove that stick from your ass first?" He enquired beguilingly and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You will _NOT_, under _ANY_ circumstance, entertain the notion that you can outsmart a drug dealer Noah." She hissed, tossing her comb carelessly to the side and taking her trademark stance, with her small hands resting on her hips and one tiny foot tapping in impatience.

He leaned back, casually crossing his hands behind his head, "Didn't your parents ever tell you it's impolite to eavesdrop Berry? How much did you hear?"

Her face reddened, "What else was there?" She demanded suspiciously and he was actually pleased to see her regain a little of that spark she was so renowned for.

Puck shrugged easily and felt the familiar smirk tug at his lips. "You need to chillax babe."

Her flush deepened and she spluttered over her words, "Chillax…CHILLAX??"

He hid a grin as she wound herself up for a patented Berry rant. "How can I _chillax_" her lip curled as she repeated the word, "knowing you have obviously been warped by excessive TV viewing and are operating under the ridiculous delusion that you and Jacob Ben-Israel,_ of all people_, can convince a common criminal to just up and confess to his illicit drug dealing."

She took a deep breath, "You're a _teenager_ Noah. You can't go all 'rogue cop' and think the only way to ensure a desirable outcome is to take matters into your own hands. Let the police do their job. If Jacob has any information, he should be handing it over to the authorities, trusting that they will follow any leads in an appropriate and law abiding manner."

Puck felt his anger surge and he barely kept it in check, knowing he couldn't allow himself to verbally take it out on her. "Rachel," he retorted icily as he sat up, conscious of the way her eyes had widened at his tone. "I don't know how it escaped your attention, but the police have been doing fucking jack when it comes to your case."

"How can I be sure that they won't bury the evidence we give them when they didn't make the effort to even question Jacob, the _only_ _witness_ who can place you and Lagenthol together, about what he saw on Saturday night?"

He crossed his arms, his chest heaving as he continued to struggle containing his fury.

'Jewfro had to go down there himself and convince them to hear him out. So do you _really_ expect me to trust those donut sucking posers with the task of locking Lagenthol away and keeping you safe, when they probably can't even tell their fucking asses from their elbows?" Puck could feel the bruised skin on his face tighten as his jaw clenched and he grit out his statement.

As if a switch had been thrown in her body, her shoulders drooped and all her frustration evaporated. Puck's eyes were fixed to a stain on his carpet, so he failed to see her unsure steps in his direction until her hand was touching his bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, when her breath hitched in her throat and she took the hand he automatically stretched to her and let him pull her onto his lap.

Rachel closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his. Exhaling shakily, she slid her fingers around to the base of his neck, unconsciously stroking the strip of hair that had a velvet-like softness to it. "I know you're doing what you think is best but I can't let you act on this Noah."

"You know the idea isn't feasible, don't you?"

He didn't actually.

Puck knew Dave Morales, and the guy wasn't the smartest tool in the shed. Sure there may be holes in their theory, but Jacob was right; they just had to figure out their angle and make sure they fine tuned their execution of the plan. At the end of the day, all they could do was try and if nothing came of it or if things turned sour, Puck just had to pray his kick ass fight club skills were enough to take on Morales.

He flexed his guns experimentally as his arms came around the petite brunette.

_Y_ep, he thought smugly, _I could take him_.

Rachel had pushed lightly on his chest so she could look at him. "Tell me you won't go through with this harebrained scheme." She beseeched, her doe like eyes searching his for any signs of deceit.

He crossed his fingers behind her back to counteract his false promise. "I won't."


	14. Chapter 13

_**AN: So this chapter's pretty long…. Sorry, but there's ALOT of coffee in my system right now and I've been like a pixie on speed, tap, tap, tapping away :) **_

* * *

Rachel watched Puck like a hawk over the next few days, ensuring that he had no contact with the invasive blogger, and that he was sincere in his pledge to forgo a confrontation with Dave Morales.

Though they had their days free to lazily hang together since Puck was still permitted to stay home, she'd been slightly distracted by Kurt and Mercedes who, ignoring the request Puck had made on Monday to give Rachel some space, had shown up at the Puckerman residence right after school on Tuesday and refused to leave. The two diva's and Finn became regular fixtures around Puck's house between the hours of 4-9pm and much to the jock's annoyance, he found himself constantly trekking between the living room and kitchen for snacks and beverages.

Beth adored Kurt and was constantly dancing around to get his attention and when he took the time to teach her the single ladies dance the little girl had christened him her honorary brother, much to Puck and Finn's dismay.

Artie and Tina had dropped by too, along with Mike and Matt, but when Rachel had started to sweat nervously at the number of people milling around, it became apparent that she was only comfortable in an environment in which she felt she had control; the more people present, the less secure she felt. They hadn't been back since, but had sent texts to Rachel daily to let her know they were there for her should she need anything. Brittany and Santana hadn't bothered to call or visit, which surprised noone.

Mrs Puckerman had delighted in the presence of all the Glee kids, pleased that Noah seemed to have made friends outside his regular football/cheerio circles and grateful that they could draw giggles out of Rachel when that glazed look threatened to settle over her eyes. The teens were all nice, respectful and down right charismatic and Puck's mother was thankful that they, along with the petite brunette, were demonstrably such positive influences on her kids.

Despite the distraction of their friends and the nightly visits her father's paid to check in with her, Rachel remained glued to Puck's side and was by no means stealthy in her attempts to nosy in on his phone calls. With the concept of privacy out the window since Rachel was practically living with him, Puck had no choice but to pull Finn into the midst of the scheming and newly formed alliance with Jacob Ben Israel.

Finn had actually teared up when his help had been requested, "Does this mean we're really like friend, friends again?" he'd asked and Puck had to wonder whether the Quarterback had taken one too many hits in practice, since he seemed to forget that it was Puck who should be grateful the other boy wanted anything to do with him at all.

"Yeah Man." Puck had replied, awkwardly patting his back. "You're my bro."

Finn had then bounced around like an excited puppy as they tried unsuccessfully to think of an angle that would allow Morales to spill details on Lagenthol, without divulging the importance the information held to Puck.

No plan had actually been put into place by the time Friday rolled around, officially marking the start of Summer when school let out that afternoon.

When Rachel had been dragged to the mall with Kurt and Mercedes for an impromptu shopping trip, Puck thought it was the opportune and in fact the _only_ time available for him to act without arousing Rachel's suspicions, whether he was prepared for it or not.

Jacob had fitted him with a wireless microphone and miniature spy cam, courtesy of the AV department and had the feeds streaming to the laptop he'd set up in Pucks room, where he and Finn would watch live as Puck went to talk with Morales.

The three boys had a last minute brainstorming session before the mohawked jock left, deciding whether it was credible for Puck to attempt to buy the Rohypnal from Morales, supposedly on Lagenthols recommendation. They had no other idea's to go on and it was then that Puck regretted not bringing Mike and Matt in on the plan, because those two at least had some street smarts.

He figured he would improvise when the time came; Puck did his best thinking under pressure and his lies were always more believable when made up on the spot. If he scripted the conversation beforehand he was sure it would come out stiff and the deceit would be glaringly obvious.

Puck found Dave Morales at the local derelict bar, appropriately named The Dive Joint. It was Lima's 24 hour pool hall which would later on be packed wall to wall with Lima's working folk looking to indulge in a Friday night beverage or 6, but at 4 o'clock in the afternoon it was practically deserted.

Puck knew from past dealings with Morales, that he and his brother-in-law Hank liked to partake in the 'Fuck Off Early, its Friday' tradition and get a head start on the festivities, even though their 'day jobs' were mostly just a cover for their shadier dealings. Puck had frequently ditched his last two periods on a Friday and met the two men here to shoot pool, down a cold beer and leave a few hours later with a small plastic bag of weekend delight in his possession.

But he hadn't done that in some time. Not since Glee, pregnant cheerleaders and pint sized broadway-loving diva's had shanghaied all his free time and a huge chunk of his conscience. So when he stepped into the smoky bar and was greeted like a long lost son by Al the bartender, Puck was not all that surprised.

"Hey Al," he greeted easily, bumping fists with the heavyset barkeep. "How've ya been?"

"Pretty good," the older man affirmed as he poured a beer in a tall frosted glass and slid the beverage down the counter to Puck with a sly wink.

Pucks fake ID had been shown here once a long time back and Al had taken one look at it and had said with a grin, "Ok Mr Jack Meoff from Idaho" (he had pronounced the state all gangster, like _I-Da-HOE_) "Its says here you were born in 76 which makes you how old now?" Puck had scrambled for the answer (cut him some slack, he hadn't seen the inside of his math classroom for years) and Al had shaken his head good naturedly, but poured him a beer anyway. They'd been on good terms ever since, yet after the first beer of the night Puck found that his glass was always refilled with soda.

"Haven't seen you around Puck, you keeping out of trouble with the ladies?"

Puck took a long appreciative sip. "You know me Al," he replied with a shit eating smirk. "Don't hang around long enough to find out."

Al guffawked and waved him away as he turned his attention back to the newspaper and Puck wandered further into the bar, leaning against the railing separating the pool area. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dave and Hank ribbing each other as they played pool and Puck pretended his attention was focused on the big screen, showing highlights of last night's Red's game.

It wasn't long before he was noticed. "Yo Puckerman you dirty little motherfucker, get your scrawny ass over here." Morales boomed and Puck ambled over at a relaxed pace, grinning in response.

"Dave, Hank." He nodded resting his foot on the lower rung of a stool to the side of where they were playing, his thumb nonchalantly threaded through a belt loop at the waistband of his jeans.

As Morales lined up a shot, Hank rested both of his meaty paws on his pool cue and considered Puck. 'Haven't seen your ugly mug round for a while. Been too busy chasing the pussy have ya?"

Puck waggled his eyebrows as he downed the dregs in his glass. "I don't need to chase anything Hank the ladies, they line themselves up for a Puck Fuck."

Hank chuckled and took his shot as Dave rolled his eyes with a smirk, "Scotty Cameron was in here last week crying into his JD about sinking all his dimes into a run down shack his Mrs just _had _to have before Summer. The pile of rotting wood has a pool and apparently Mrs Cam already has your number, in more ways that one."

Puck shrugged in a 'what can you do?' gesture and after Morales sank his last ball and then the 8, Hank was gracious in defeat and went to get another jug of beer.

Puck and Morales settled in a booth, shooting the breeze talking about nothing in particular.

Morales asked about his latest sexploit (Puck's rep was legendary) and he found himself recycling the story of an old conquest, since secretly he hadn't seen any action in _months_.

When he had Morales in fits of laughter as he described the naked run he'd had to make to his truck when the cougar's husband had arrived home unexpectedly, and the shock hose down he'd received from the neighbour next door watering her garden, Puck ventured to ask Morales what was going on in his life.

An ecstatic look had come over the dealers face as he pulled a picture out of his wallet and flaunted it in Puck's face.

"I'm a Dad man, my girlfriend and I had a little girl!"

Puck gaped in surprise, grasping the photo and gazing down at an angry looking newborn with tuffs of dark hair and bright blue eyes.

He stared at the picture in his hands, ignoring the tightening in his chest and Dave's ramblings as he tried to push back the image of his own daughter; he needed to focus, for Rachel.

His head lifted and he was about to change the subject to steer the conversation back in the right direction, but he couldn't resist glancing once more at the pink bundle in the photograph and his thoughts strayed once more to a hazel eyed infant that would never call him Daddy.

"How do you find it?" Puck found himself asking, a feeling of dread low in his stomach. "Fatherhood I mean?"

Morales plied his picture from Puck's suddenly numb fingers and placed in back in his wallet with reverent care. "I'm loving it man, she's the best thing that ever happened to me." His words were simple and sincere, and coupled with the look of pride and contentment on his features, Puck had no doubt that even if he wasn't entirely on the straight and narrow, Dave Morales was a changed man.

Suddenly, Puck became aware of the mike and spycam he was wearing and knew without a doubt that he couldn't do it. He couldn't incriminate Dave when he knew that evidence would mean he may not return home to his new baby. And kids, they needed their dads.

He'd have to find some other way to help Rachel.

"So what's your deal Puckerman?" Morales asked as Hank returned with a fresh pitcher, doling out three glasses and taking it upon himself to pour.

'What do you mean?" Puck asked cluelessly, leaning back in his chair.

"You've been MIA in this neck of the woods for months and then you show up out of the blue. You're not here because of a woman are you?" Morales queried casually, accepting the glass his brother-in-law handed him.

"You could say that." Puck muttered scratching his eyebrow.

Morales knew that Puck hadn't been angling for some pot, because from the look of him, the mohawked young man had been living cleanly; His complexion was tanned and healthy looking and his physique was more impressive that usual. The way the guy was nervously fidgeting though, put Morales on guard.

Puck found himself locked in Morales' stare and ignoring his reservations, bit the bullet, "You're not dealing anymore are you Dave?"

Morales took another sip of his drink before he answered carefully. "Does it matter? You're not smoking."

"It matters." Puck contradicted and after a split second of indecision, he made up his mind and abandoned the loose plan that he'd had. "Because my friend got slipped something last week, and she got…" Puck wondered when he'd be able to say the word outright without stumbling over it, "Raped."

Morales' eyes widened and Hank spluttered into his glass. For a while there were no words spoken between them and it was so quiet Puck could hear the rustle of Al's newspaper as he turned the pages. "And you thought I could give you a list of guys who might have done it? Because I'm sorry man, but I can't help you with that." Morales said eventually, regret evident in his tone.

Puck shook his head, "I know who did it."

Hank leaned forward. "Who?"

"Kid by the name of Alex Lagenthol."

Dave's expression changed, his eyes hardened and his mouth pulled into a grim line. "Max Lagenthol's boy?"

Puck nodded wordlessly and levelled his own gaze at his former dealer who was exchanging an unreadable look with Hank.

"What was it you thought I could tell you then, if you already knew he did it?"

Puck took his time answering. "The cops aren't doing anything about it, they don't have proof so I thought if you told me he-"

"Brought the drug off me it would be enough to convict him."

Puck nodded.

"You know I'd go down too." Morales informed his needlessly.

"Which is why I'm not going to ask you the question." Puck replied and Hank chuckled without humour.

"You got balls of steel Puckerman, I'll give you that." The big man said half admiringly but with a sharp edge to his voice.

Morales let his eyes sweep over the bar and its occupants then nodded to his large sidekick. Hank stood, letting a bulky hand rest on Pucks shoulder. "Come on Puckerman, let's go for a drive."

* * *

Rachel was burrowed into a corner of the Puckerman sofa, staring unseeingly ahead as chaos continued to reign on her surroundings.

When she'd arrived back at the Puckerman household after an afternoon shopping with Kurt and Mercedes, she'd found two squad cars in the drive and her heart had immediately jumped into her throat. Rachel had been feeling unsettled since Noah had failed to answer her phonecalls this past hour, and now she knew why.

Something was wrong.

She'd raced into the house to find Mrs Hudson trying to calm a hysterical Mrs Puckerman, while Jacob and Finn, who were wearing identical expressions of fear and guilt, were being questioned by uniformed officers with a laptop lying open on the coffee table.

When Noah's mother had grasped her hand and briefed her of the situation, how her son had gone to see Dave Morales and had been last seen getting into a vehicle with him and an accomplice 2 hours before hand, Rachel had gone numb. Her unsteady legs had carried her to the sofa where she was now seated, and she let the conversations wash over her as the officers continued their interrogations and Mrs Hudson had drawn Mrs Puckerman into the kitchen for tea.

Jacob had received video footage of Puck's visit to the pool hall, but the audio feed had fallen silent and disconnected just as Puck had sat down with Morales. About 5 minutes into the silent car ride, the video cut out as well.

Rachel clamped down on the fear and panic coursing through her body.

She could only wait and pray that Noah was ok and would come to no harm, because _when_ he got home she was going to kill him herself.

* * *

_Columbus, Ohio_

He'd never been to Columbus, Puck thought idly as Morales slowed his car and turned onto Broad Street in the City's eastside.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, pressed up against the window since Hank seemed to take up majority of the backseat they were sharing and after an hour of driving in silence, Puck was anxious to reach their destination and stretch out his legs.

Suddenly, Sweet Caroline resonated around the inside of the car and Puck fumbled into his pocket. He'd been ignoring the silent buzzing of text messages for the entire trip, but that tune meant the name Berry* would be flashing across the screen.

His gaze came to rest on Hank who shook his head and held out his hand.

Puck reluctantly passed over his cell. He was sure Rachel would be all shopped out by now and it wouldn't be long before she discovered whose company he was in and the fact that he was missing. She was going to_ freak_.

Hank had glanced at Puck's phone before turning it off and pocketing it. "Berry, that your girl?"

Puck sighed, leaning back into the seat. "Yeah, that's her." Well maybe technically she wasn't _his_, but since he hadn't been interested in anyone that wasn't Rachel for what seemed like forever, he figured that meant he was _hers_ and in his book, that basically amounted to the same thing.

He saw Morales exchange another look with Hank via the rear view mirror and Puck couldn't help but feel nervous.

"I love Neil Diamond," was all Morales said before turning his attention back on the road.

The two had offered no clues as to where they were heading or why, but Puck thought that maybe it was a good sign that they hadn't pulled over on a deserted patch of route 177 and put a bullet in his skull. So far, so good.

A few minutes later they were pulling into the driveway of an older style, two story house on a quiet block. The wire fence was old and rusting with the front lawn yellowing and in desperate need of water and a good cut.

The low beam headlights of Morales' jeep flashed the licence plate of the expensive black sedan parked in the driveway, with personalized plates Puck couldn't quite make out in the fading daylight.

Hank had slipped out of the back and crossed round the car to open Pucks door, clamping his forearm in a vice like grip as they trailed Morales up the rickety front steps to ring the door bell.

It opened cautiously a split second later and hushed words were exchanged before the crack widened and they were granted entry.

It wasn't until he walked into a spacious kitchen and saw their host sit back down at a table with 3 of his mates, finely cutting what looked to be shit loads of crystal meth, did Puck start to sweat.

Morales tossed his head in Pucks direction. "Jarell, Puckerman. Puckerman, Jarell." He made a brief introduction to one of them, ignoring the other men in the room.

Jarell didn't blink as his dark gaze eyed Puck's Mohawk and then briefly glanced over the rest of him. Jarell himself was a 30 something African-American with a build similar to Hanks but without all the fat around the middle."What are doing bringing another white boy down to my neighbourhood?" He demanded more curious than angry.

Puck was wondering the same thing and moved restlessly.

Morales leaned casually against the door jam, "Seems you and Puckerman here have a mutual dislike for the Lagenthol family. I thought maybe you could compare notes and see if the two of you might be able to figure out what to do with that hatred since separately you can't really touch him."

Puck couldn't help but smirk and flexed his fingers, his joints giving an audible pop. 'Well that's not entirely true." He found himself saying and Jarell's speculative gaze rested on him again.

"Young Langenthol's jaw took a knocking this week and looks fucked beyond repair." He noted, "That your work?"

Puck shrugged indifferently as Hank let out a low whistle and some of his friendly demeanour returned. "I knew you hadn't gone completely fucking soft." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth as he elbowed him lightly. Puck however was focused on Jarell. Columbus was miles away from Lima and as Jacob had suggested, Langenthol was a small town boy. His connection to these men made Puck suspicious.

If Jarell turned out to be Lagenthol's dealer, Puck knew he wouldn't be able to control himself. He gazed uneasily at the other occupants of the room. Morales and Hank could not be counted on to have his back, so Puck would pretty much be signing his own death certificate. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. Then there was the small matter of the discreet equipment Puck was packing. He consciously brushed his hand against the pocket of his button down shirt, wondering whether Jacob was still streaming the audio/visual or whether the link had been lost en route to their current location. He was sure it had, it had looked pretty cheap.

Suddenly though, the thought of cops busting in on the group and trouble breaking out seemed like a real possibility and Puck realized for the first time that he really was in over his head.

"I guess you and I do have something to discuss afterall." Jarell was saying as he stood, motioning Morales, Puck and Hank to follow him.

They were led down a dark hall to a study toward the back of the house, with a sturdy desk as its focal point and a dusty two seater along one wall. Jarell sat behind the desk, gesturing at the lone chair opposite for Puck to take, whilst the other two settled silently on the sofa.

"Why don't you tell me what Lagenthol did that had you so determined to rearrange his face." Jarell suggested as he lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply and even though he expected to be asked, Puck still flinched at the thought. So he told him what Alex had done, the fact that Rachel couldn't remember, what Jacob had seen and posted on his blog and finally, what Alex had said in the cafeteria that had caused Puck to jump him and ultimately break his face.

Jarell listened asking no other questions, and when Puck had finished explaining that the cops claimed it was all circumstantial and they were lacking in hard evidence, the dark skinned man stubbed out his cigarette and reached into the top drawer of the desk, pulling out a stained manilla folder.

Wordlessly he passed it over and Puck glanced briefly at him before taking the proffered file and resting it in his lap. Inside was a pile of photo's, mostly mug shot-style close ups of a girl, probably about 20 years old, with skin a few shades lighter than Jarell's - her face bruised and bloodied.

'That's my half sister Cheyenne." Jarell answered Puck's unspoken question as the teen flickered though the half dozen snaps, wincing at a full body shot that showed the abundance of dark bruising all over her thighs and upper body. She'd taken a pretty severe beating.

"She got those at a frat party at Ohio State a few weeks back. You know who else was at that party, visiting his brother?"

"Alex Lagenthol." Puck guessed and Jarell nodded 'Did he…" Puck began hesitantly and Jarell shook his head.

"He tried, but she's pretty feisty and fought him off. He didn't like that." Jarell gestured needlessly at the photo's, disdain dripping from his words. "After he slapped her around, it seemed that he wasn't in the mood anymore and couldn't get it up."

'It wasn't like what happened to your girl, he didn't slip Cheyenne anything."

Puck closed the folder and placed it on the desk, he didn't want to see anymore.

"She didn't report it?"

Jarell hesitated. "Well, this is where it gets shady. You see, this wasn't the first encounter Cheyenne has had with Langenthol." he glanced at Morales and Hank before looking back at Puck. "Up until recently, Cheyenne was working as a receptionist at an escort place downtown. One that Lagenthol Senior _and_ Junior frequent together."

Puck exhaled loudly. This shit was getting heavy. All he had wanted was proof Lagenthol had procured the date rape drug found in Rachel's system, and now he could feel himself immersed deeper in the knowledge of Lagenthol's sordidness.

Jarell handed over another folder to Puck, thick with what looked to be CCTV stills of Alex and Max Lagenthol's faces clearly visible, and photocopies of ledger columns whose information Puck couldn't decipher.

"Before she left the agency, Cheyenne took copies of their 'books'. In that folder is undeniable proof that the Lagenthol's were patronizing prostitutes on a regular basis. There are copies of cash receipts, identification, pictures from their surveillance cameras, appointment times, EVERYTHING that could get them a guilty verdict for a misdemeanour in soliciting sex from hookers."

Puck was puzzled. "I thought that discretion would be kind of important in that business. How is there so much evidence available?"

Jarell smiled, his teeth white against his dark skin. "The madam of that establishment is very diligent in running a tight ship. She screens her customers by getting crooked cops to run background checks on them and takes ID on the client's first appointment for collateral in case things go sour, you know?" He paused as Puck didn't seem to be paying attention. "Geez Puckerman, it's almost like you don't want the info I'm giving you."

Puck stared down at the folder. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with this."

Jarell made a sound of annoyance. "Listen up bro, you say the Lima PD are sitting on their hands? Well you take what's in that folder there to a station in Columbus and that Lagenthol kid will be arrested inside an hour and will get at least 6 months to a year jail time. And his scumbag, lawyer dad? He'll go down for 5-7 since he involved a minor."

"But he won't get done for what he did to Rachel." Puck pointed out, "No offence man, what happened to your sister sucks ass and if I see him again, I'll make him see stars just for you, but I don't give a fuck about what goes down with him and those hookers." Puck slapped the folder on the desk, his jaw twitching and Jarell grinned.

The punk had attitude, he liked that.

"Puckerman, just because the cop's in your town sound like they got their badges from a cereal box, doesn't mean they're all like that-" at Pucks incredulous look, Morales, Hank and Jarell all laughed. "Hey, I might not run in the cleanest of circles but I still have some respect for the law and there are a couple of decent ones out there."

Jarell scribbled on a piece of paper and handed in to Puck.

_**Detective Sean Feldman**_

_**Special Victims Unit, East Long St**_

"You should go pay him a visit. I guarantee you that if you tell him what happened with Rachel, he'll find a way to nail Lagenthol for it, despite what your PD says. He's on call tonight. Make whoever's working the desk let you talk to him and tell him Solid Coffin sent you."

Puck smirked "Solid Coffin?"

Jarell rolled his eyes. "Shut the fuck up."

"So if 'Solid Coffin' is on such good terms with Detective Sean Feldman, why haven't you taken this-" Puck picked the folder back up, "to him yourself?"

"He knows some of the story, but I can't negotiate a deal with him just yet that works in my and Cheyenne's favour. I was going to wait and see if I could negotiate something but you've got nothing hanging over you so-" Jarell shrugged.

"And you're ok with Lagenthol getting only 6 months for what he did?" Puck checked, skeptically.

"6 months isn't a lot, but it's a start and when he gets out, well…" Jarell winked. "I'll be around."

Puck grinned in response and nodded.

"Thanks man." Jarell and Puck stood and did that weird handshake thing guys liked, that looked ridiculous to anyone not participating.

"Good luck Puckerman, and I don't need to tell you we've never met right?"

Puck didn't answer, it was implied.

Jarell walked Puck to the door and told him sincerely he hoped Rachel was ok. Morales and Hank had gone ahead of them and were already starting the car. When Puck was buckled in, Hank, who was seated up front this time, tossed him back his cell.

Puck turned the phone back on and made a face as it beeped angrily. He'd had 11 missed calls. He could only imagine the crap that was going down back in Lima, but he had to push those thoughts away for just a little while longer.

First, he needed to drop in on Detective Feldman. This shit needed to be over tonight.


	15. Chapter 14

_**AN: So whoopsies! Point of clarification on the last chapter, since I've confused many of you: When Jacob and Finn saw Puck get in the car with Morales and Hank, they panicked and called the cops. Both feel really guilty for taking part in the attempted subterfuge when realizing that it could have ended badly!**_

_**If I haven't had a chance to respond to your review to say thank you, I'm not being rude or disinterested in what you have to say, I promise! I've just been busy house hunting and since yesterday, bucketing thousands of litres of water from the front of my flat after the freaky Melbourne downpour and subsequent street floodings.**_

_**But enough of my rambling, read on!**_

* * *

Puck was surprised to see the Gleeks lolling around the Lima Police Station as he walked in with Detective Feldman. Kurt was braiding Brittany's hair as she sat on the floor by his feet, holding hands with a tense looking Santana. Mercedes was seated between Matt and Mike, talking quietly and watching an agitated Finn pace a straight line up and down in front of the row of plastic chairs. Meanwhile, Jacob Ben-Israel was sitting apart from the group staring at his feet and Tina was absentmindedly pushing Artie's chair back and forth with the toe of her combat boots.

At Puck's appearance, Finn had thrown his gangly arms around him, practically sobbing in relief. Puck allowed him the moment, knowing that his disappearance would have shaken his tall friend, but made a mental note to remind Finn later that these hallmark touchy feely moments they'd been indulging in lately were in danger of making the pair of them grow vaginas.

When Puck had met the Detective of the East Columbus Precinct and filled him in on Langenthol's assault of Rachel and the information he had garnered from 'Solid Coffin', the man had acted quickly, phoning through for a search warrant of the Lagenthol home and their vehicles and instructing the local Lima PD to pick up the father and son for questioning.

Detective Feldman was not what he had expected; he stood portly at barely 5'6 with shaggy black hair and bushy eyebrows. His craggy face was in direct contrast to his bright blue eyes that shone with sharp intelligence and had displayed an extraordinary amount of empathy for Rachel's ordeal, laced with irritation at his Lima counterparts who seemed to have adopted a disinterest in ensuring Lagenthol was thoroughly investigated.

Puck, who had a natural inclination to distrust law enforcement, was pleased that the Detective had got in his car and driven them back to Lima to personally handle the allegations of prostitute solicitation and steer Rachel's case in the right direction.

Knowing that justice was finally in the right hands, Pucks had allowed himself to relax. Upon arrival in Lima, the local officer had informed them that Puck's mother was in the Sergeants office being appraised of the situation and Detective Feldman advised Puck to take a moment to reassure his friends that he was alright and with a wink, told him he would go ahead and put a good word in for him with his mother.

Puck had briefly updated his friends and was about to ask why Rachel was absent among the welcoming home group when his mother, who had barely registered a word the Detective had said to her, called out his name.

For the second time that week, Puck had to face his mother across a crowded police station. Predictably, it sucked just as bad this time around.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and ducked his head sheepishly. "I know the drill mom, no TV, no Xbox, no truck, no phone, no life. Is there anything else?"

When the screaming failed to commence on cue, Puck looked up and immediately wished he hadn't. The only thing worse than his mother's rants, were her looks of disappointment and the one she was giving him just then managed to top the one she'd levelled at him when he'd broken the news of Quinn and the baby.

"Just when I think you couldn't possibly get into more trouble, you go ahead and surprise me." Mrs Puckerman mused listlessly, her shoulders hunched.

"You know, I _thought_ I was a good mother. It's been hard trying to keep you in line when you're so obviously in dire need of a paternal role model, but I've done my best."

And there it was, the Jewish guilt trip.

"Last I heard your plans for tonight involved staying in with Rachel to watch movies. Instead, I arrive home to find police cars in my driveway and news that not only do you have an established rapport with drug dealers in this town, but that you'd gone missing in the midst of your little sting operation that could have ended with you lying in a ditch outside the greater Columbus area." For the first time in a long while, Noah really looked at his mother and noticed that the last 10 years had really worn on her; she looked older that her 36 years.

He was such a bad Jew.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this." She admitted, her green eyes defeated.

"Mom I'm sorry." He said sincerely, walking so he was standing in front of her and resting his hands on her weary shoulders. "But it's just something I had to do." He had no explanation or justification that would satisfy her.

She was shaking her head. "No you didn't have to. What you should have done, was think about your future, your family and Rachel. That girl has come to depend on you and with all she's going through right now, how do you think she would have reacted if something had happened to you?"

He didn't bother to answer that, but voiced the question that was upmost in his mind.

"Where is Rachel?"

Suddenly his friend's, who had been keenly listening to the exchange between the two Puckerman's, feigned yawns and started yammering about how they were late for dinner/needed at home/having to run errands and after bestowing awkward hugs on the mohawked jock, reiterating that they were glad he was ok, the gleeks then scattered like rabbits.

Puck was left alone to dodge his mother's stare.

She riffled through her hand bag and produced a crumpled envelope.

"That came for you today; it's the notification of your court date. Andrew Berry has organized a lawyer to represent you and I imagine he'll be in touch with you early in the week. " After a pregnant pause, she handed it over, along with her car keys.

"Detective Feldman advised me that the Lagenthol's have been arrested and are being escorted back to the station now. You're wanted for another hour or so to clarify a few points on your interaction with Dave Morales, and to read the transcript of your statement and sign it. Finn will drive me home, so I'll leave you my car."

The Detective had let slip that the audio feed that Jacob was monitoring dropped out before his conversation with Morales, so Puck had been able to smoothly lie and state that Jacob and Finn had been mistaken in thinking Dave was a dealer. The police were intending on questioning both Morales and Hank but as per the agreement made before they left Puck at the Columbus station, as far as anyone is concerned all the three did was play pool and take a drive.

The police would be suspicious, but they had nothing to nail them for.

Puck clutched the envelope and pocketed the proffered keys.

"I'd ask you to come straight home and say out of trouble, but since you've listened to nothing else I've said this week, I won't waste my breath."

Puck flinched at her parting shot and nodded miserably through the window at Finn who was waiting outside for Mrs Puckerman. The elation he'd been feeling knowing that Langenthol was in cuffs, started to wane with Rachel's absence and a court date weighing heavily on his mind. He could do with a drink.

* * *

"Noah!" Puck looked up at the sound of Rachel's voice and shot to his feet as she strode through the station's bullpen towards him.

He was reaching out for her expecting her to throw herself into his arms, when she stopped short and delivered a stinging slap to his cheek that he was in no way prepared for, his face actually snapping to the side from the force behind it.

Her eyes were glittering with fury as he looked at her, stunned. "What the hell Berry?"

Her small hands shoved him roughly and he stumbled, steadying himself against the desk behind him. Puck looked over her shoulder to see both of her fathers come up behind her. Andy had his hands in his pockets, shooting him a sympathetic glance while the other Mr Berry's stare was fixed on his daughter, shocked at her behaviour.

Neither man chose to interfere.

"You lied to me." The petite brunette accused tightly, clenching her aching palm.

He gaped at her, gesturing in the direction of the holding cells at the back of the station where he'd smugly watched Max and Alex Lagenthol get led through to, barely 10 minutes before. "You can't seriously be pissed at me. Lagenthol's been arrested because of what I did."

Rachel stood before him, directing more anger his way that he thought her tiny body could contain and he winced when a sharp finger poked him none to gently in the chest. "Oh I can't be 'pissed at you'?" She quoted mockingly and Puck thought that if he wasn't so caught off guard by the curse on her lips, he would have found it sexy as hell.

"I don't have the words to express how furious I am with you and your reprehensible actions. The sheer stupidity you exhibited tonight reached new heights- even for you. "

"Fuck Berry, for someone who has nothing to say, you sure are spewing a lot of crap." He mentally kicked himself as the words spilled from his mouth and as her eyes narrowed, he glanced nervously over her shoulder to her father Andy, who was frantically shaking his head as if to say 'Don't poke the bear!'

_Yeah thanks Mr Berry, that memo was received a second to late._

'I asked you outright to abandon your interference in the investigation and you lied directly to my face, assuring me you would let it go." She was so tense, her body was shaking.

"Well to be fair, I did cross my fingers behind my back, so anything you thought I agreed to was null and void." He reasoned, a tad arrogantly.

At that, her face flamed scarlet and she stomped her foot in frustration. Actually stomped it, like a 5 year old denied candy at the check out counter, yet she went on to accuse him of being juvenile.

"You promised." She choked a minute later, unable to stop the tears from falling as her anger abated. Puck tried once more to embrace her, but she twisted herself out of his grasp. If the extent of her displeasure with him hadn't already been evident, that right there would have been the giant glaring billboard, because she usually leant in to his touch, not away from it. "I can't even look at you right now." her voice was no more that a whisper and she turned away, allowing her Daddy to lead her into the Sergeant's office.

His fingers were itching to pull her back to him but he resisted, letting his pained gaze followed her until she was out of his sight.

"You scared her Noah." Andy explained quietly, having elected to stay behind with his daughter's…well in truth he wasn't sure what Puck was to Rachel, but whatever they had, it was something. "When Jacob and Finn told her you were missing and she saw that last part of the video feed showing you being forced into the car with those men-" he paused, shaking his head. "She just needs some time to get past that."

Puck blew out his breath. "What's going on there?" He gestured to the closed office door. 'Detective Feldman said with the new information on Alex, they were going to delve deeper into her case and a conviction shouldn't be a problem."

"There won't be." Andy assured him, "In fact, on our way over here we got a phone call from Officer Jerkins, who was with the team searching the Langethol home and apparently they've come across the holy grail of evidence. They found a box of women's panties, and going from Rachel's description, he's sure a pair of those were the ones she was wearing on Saturday night."

"The other's, they believe, may belong to some of his other victims. Officer Jerkins is going to pull all the unsolved rape cases to cross check any reports similar circumstances."

"Holy fuck." Puck felt some of the tension in his shoulders lessen. "So it's over then. That piece of shit is really going down for what he done."

"He really is."

When Rachel and her father James exited the Sergeants office 15 minutes later, Rachel lifted her chin and averted her eyes, refusing to look in Pucks direction. Andy patted his back, "I'll talk to her. She'll come around." He promised, before following his family out of the station.

Puck despondently watched the Berry's go. Well that fucking sucked. That made two women in his life who weren't talking to him, he wondered if Beth was going to give him the cold shoulder when he finally got home too.

He tried to shrug it off and went back to the task of rereading his statement. He just wanted to sign off on the damn thing and leave; it had been a long night.

* * *

Puck awoke sometime after 3am to soft hands trailing his cheek. He blinked blearily and could just make out Rachel's features from the full moon infiltrating the gap in his curtains, faintly illuminating his bedroom. She was straddling his blanketed form, one knee resting on either side of his hips as she leant forward, the scent of strawberries tickling his nostrils.

"Rach-" he didn't have time to clear the croakiness from his voice before her lips were pressed against his. By the time the remnants of sleep had dispersed and he was fully aware of what was happening, she had already pulled back.

His hands settled on her waist as she leaned over to flick on his bedside lamp, and when she had returned to her position he could see the tracks of dried tears on her cheeks and the telltale puffiness around her eyes.

Those eyes were anguished, guilt and remorse vying for dominance as her fingers traced the imaginary outline of where her palm had connected. "You're an idiot." She whispered in lieu of an actually apology but he could feel it in the feather-lightness of her touch.

He didn't answer, sitting up and moving his hands to her back to prevent her from shifting away as their chests pressed against each other. Her ass was resting on his upper thighs now and Puck groaned when she shifted innocently, inadvertently rocking her hips forward and shooting a jolt of awareness through him.

He didn't stop to think when he captured her mouth with his.

She tasted like vanilla and honey he decided, running his tongue over her lips, tasting her gloss. Her fingers gripped his t-shirt and she moaned, prompting him to plunge deeper into the sweetness of her mouth, stroking and massaging her tongue with infinite skill.

Puck's grip tightened, causing Rachel to come back to her senses. She made a small sound of protest that was misinterpreted as encouragement and when he didn't immediately pull away, she panicked. Wrenching her lips away, her hands came between their bodies and she pushed his torso away from hers. When the fog lifted and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes, its sobering effect was the equivalent of an ice water bath.

She stared at him and touched her fingers to her tingling mouth, trying to locate her voice and it was then he realized what he had done.

"Fuck Rach, I'm sorry." He said hurriedly, running an unsteady hand over his Mohawk. "Are you alright?"

She nodded silently and he swore under his breath, spanning her waist with his hands and gently lifted her off his lap. Rachel watched as he stalked out of the room and scrambled off the bed to follow.

Puck was running the faucet in the bathroom when she caught up, cupping his palms underneath the stream and splashing his face with the cool water.

Wordlessly, she handed him a towel and he scrubbed the scratchy material over his face before gripping the vanity and hanging his head, battling with the self loathing that threatened to consume him.

Rachel paused in indecision before she pressed against his muscular back, slid her arms around his waist and rose on her tip toes so she could rest her chin on his shoulder.

It was a few minutes before he had composed himself enough so that he could meet her eyes in the mirror. He exhaled loudly. "I'm so sorry Rach." He apoligized again. "I don't know what I was thinking. I swear I wasn't trying to-"

"Shut up." She requested softly, detangling her arms so she could pull him around to face her. Framing his face with her tiny hands, she held his gaze steady. "I'm not afraid of you Noah," she murmured, "It's just-"

"Too soon." He supplied and she nodded slightly.

Puck wound his own arms around her midsection, thankful when she relaxed enough to press closer to him, moulding herself against his body.

"I didn't mean for that to happen." It was important that she knew he hadn't been thinking about putting the moves on her.

She smiled shyly at him. "I know. I was the one who kissed you remember?"

And she did it again, her mouth exerting the barest hint of pressure as she brushed her lips against his, once, twice, three times. When she pulled back he sighed; a tired, weary sound, and buried his face in her hair. "You're exhausted." She noted, kneading the tense knots between his shoulder blades. "I think you should go back to bed."

"You're staying?" It was more of a statement than a question so she didn't feel the need to answer. Taking a tight hold of his hand, she led him back to his bedroom.

Puck climbed under the rumpled covers and watched as Rachel, in a gesture of familiarity from having played out this same ritual every night that week, claimed another of his t-shirts from the folded laundry on his bureau and with her pajama shorts in hand, went to change in his closet.

When Rachel emerged a few minutes later and folded the sweat pants and long sleeved shirt she had previously been wearing, Puck smiled. "What?" She asked self consciously, catching his expression and running her fingers through her loose wavy locks.

"You're swimming in that shirt Berry." He told her, amused. The faded material hit her at mid thigh, hiding the shorts she wore underneath so it seemed as though she was wearing his shirt and nothing else, a sight that he burned into his brain for enjoyment at a later date.

Heal pooled in her cheeks as his appreciative stare grazed her bare legs and Rachel shot him a censored look before crawling over him to the space closest to the wall, which within those last few days had become 'her' side of his bed.

She lay on her side, facing him but leaving a foot of space between them and he frowned. "You're too far away." Puck complained but made no move to invade her space. Rachel could see he was still smarting from what had transpired between them earlier and slid her leg over his thighs, shifting, half lying on his chest and resting her chin on her crossed forearms so she could look at him.

He really was beautiful, she decided objectively as she studied the planes of his face. Though she suspected he would fiercely object to the term 'beautiful', preferring something more badass or manly, like 'ruggedly handsome'.

Puck twirled a silky strand of her raven mane through his fingers as she continued to gaze at him. "Are you still mad at me?" he asked, sticking his full lower lip out in a pout that had her involuntarily smiling.

"Yes." She replied and then her expression turned serious. Her lashes lowered and she tried not to dwell on the events of the last 8 hours, to no avail.

He brushed his thumb against her cheek. "I'm sorry that I upset you but I'm not going to apologize for what I did. Any risk I took was worth it. That fucker is going down Rach."

She swallowed the lump in her throat at the cavalier attitude he took to his personal safety. "Lagenthol's punishment or lack there of is inconsequential. None of that would matter to me if you'd been hurt."

He spoke quietly and calmly, not wanting his usual gruff manner to inflect on his words. "I couldn't let him to get away with what he'd done to you. I failed you that night Rach. When you needed someone to help you, I wasn't there. I wasn't going to fail you again."

She finally looked at him again, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "You didn't fail me Noah, you've _saved_ me."

He made a scoffing sound and she touched his chin, rubbing her fingers against the scratchy stubble there. "You didn't know what was happening to me. I imagine that if you had even an inkling what was going on upstairs, you would have kicked down the door to get to me." She wiggled up his body, the incessant need to always be closer to him striking again and she slid her arms around his torso.

"I would have." His eyes searched hers intently looking for any sign of doubt and she smiled tremulously.

"I know."

She laid her head on his chest so her ear was resting over his heartbeat, its steady _**thump, thump**_ reassuring her that he was ok. Puck enticed a small sound of contentment from her when his arms came around her and he ran his hands up and down her spine, soothing her in the way he'd perfected as they'd grown closer.

"Whilst I don't agree with the way you went about collecting the evidence, I appreciate that you felt compelled to make sure Alex pays for his actions" She admitted, tightening her arm across his stomach. "Just promise me that you'll try and curb your reckless impulses."

He chuckled, the sound rumbling underneath her cheek. "Babe, I'm a badass. If I was to promise you that, firstly: I'd be fucking lying and secondly: it goes against the very nature of who I am."

"That's not who you are." She corrected softly and said no more.

His amusement died, and his fingers stilled momentarily.

Noone besides his mother had ever had that same unwavering belief that he was more than what he presented. Everyone always took him at face value, accepting the supposition that he was a Lima loser with no forethought for his future. What's worse is that over the years he'd begun to believe it too. The bullying, sexual exploits and the fact that he had got his best friend's girlfriend pregnant, were further proof of his disregard for the people around him.

The fact that Rachel, a girl who had born the brunt of his hostility for much of their highschool careers, saw past that and more importantly, had faith in him was amazing. And terrifying.

He saw the friendship she'd extended to him after the Babygate fiasco as his redemption. She brought the Noah out of the Puck, and everyday he could feel a little more of the defences he'd built, fortress-like around him, crumble at the hands of this tiny slip of a girl.

The fact that she was here with him, when 6 months ago he was throwing slushies in her face, was incomprehensible. How could she be so sure that he had changed, that he wouldn't at any moment revert back to type and derive pleasure from her humiliation and torture?

Even as he thought about it, he pushed the ridiculous notion away.

Rachel was no longer an unbearable, musical loving freak to be mocked and harassed. Sure, she was still all about the musicals and the fact that she could recite every word and song to anything that had ever ran on or off broadway, seriously disturbed him.

She was so much more than that, and he was only beginning to scratch the surface of Rachel Berry.

His fingers returned to their task of drawing large circles over her back and he knew from her stillness and measured breathing, that she'd fallen asleep. After her ordeal last weekend and the emotional turmoil since, it was amazing that she could so readily succumb to slumber in his arms. The way Rachel had attached herself to him, trusting that he would keep her safe surprised him more than it did anyone else.

But at the same time, it was justified. Hadn't his recent actions proven to her that he would fight her battles when she couldn't? Puck was adamant that she shouldn't suffer anymore than she already had, and if it took broken promises, a criminal record or risking his personal safety to ensure it, then as far as he was concerned, it was a no-brainer.

The burden of expectation to do better, to _be better_, was an unfamiliar weight on his broad shoulders. But Rachel was depending on Noah, so Puck knew his worries were in vain; he was determined not to disappoint her.


	16. Chapter 15

_**AN: So has anyone else heard the rumour that's circulating AGAIN that Mark Salling and Naya Rivera are dating? Boooo I say! Nothing against Naya, I'm sure she's lovely, but doesn't anyone else want to see Mark with Lea? You know, since it's unlikely we can have him to ourselves? I'm gutted.**_

_**Anywho….**_

* * *

Puck was strumming idly on the strings of his guitar playing the melody to a song he had just heard on the radio as his bedroom door swung open, revealing Mrs Puckerman laden down with an overflowing basket of laundry, fresh from the dryer.

He set aside his instrument carefully before jumping up to unburden his mother from her load, dumping the basket and its contents heavily on the floor. She flashed him a small smile of thanks and to his surprise, sat down on his desk chair and started to sort Rachel's clean clothes from his. To say the relationship between Puck and his mother had been strained since their conversation at the station a week ago, would be a massive understatement. They had barely even looked at each other, much less talked, relying on Rachel and Beth to fill the awkward silences around the dinner table.

Mrs Puckerman pushed his laundry over to him with a pointed look as if to say 'start folding', as she methodically began to fold Rachel's. After a moments hesitation he reached for the first shirt, sneaking glances at the older woman who was humming quietly under her breath. He was scanning his brain for a neutral topic to broach when his mother, whilst shaking out the wrinkles out of Rachel's favourite pink blouse, spoke first. "Andy and James are downstairs talking with Rachel. I thought I'd give them a bit of privacy since they haven't seen her for a few days."

Puck nodded, not having much to add to that. It was true, Rachel had stayed at his house every night except last Sunday, when they had joined her father's for dinner at her house and had slept there instead. He knew James was still uncomfortable with the fact that his daughter was spending every night in Puck's bed, despite the obvious fact that there was no hanky panky going on. But although both men missed her terribly, they couldn't deny that Puck had a demonstrable calming effect on Rachel.

And Rachel wasn't coping well at all. Her emotions seemed to spiral out of control at random intervals and her panic attacks were becoming a regular occurrence, hitting with no warning. She'd had one at the supermarket check out two days before and one yesterday while watching the Little Mermaid with Beth. The worst one however was the morning after Lagenthol's arrest.

_Rachel had been taking a shower before breakfast and when she had failed to appear after Beth had sat through several Saturday morning cartoons, the little girl had gone to investigate. Beth was too young to realize that the worry gnawing at her gut was her sixth sense telling her something was very wrong. All she knew is that she couldn't hear singing over the sounds of the water running and Rachel __**always**__ sang in the shower._

_When she first started staying over at the Puckerman household, Rachel would sing songs the youngest Puckerman didn't recognise, that Noah would always complain made his ears bleed. But when the brunette realized that Beth liked to sit outside the door and listen, she incorporated their mutual favourite Disney songs into her bathroom repertoire and some Miley Cyrus for good measure, just because she knew the Hanna Montana star was Beth's favourite._

_The absence of song that particular morning though had Beth running into Puck's bedroom and jumping on his slumbering form until he woke and took stock of the situation. When knocking and calling out her name garnered no response, except to pry his mother out of her own bed, Puck took action and kicked the door down. Mrs Puckerman had entered first, cautiously peering around the curtain and finding Rachel curled up in a ball in the corner of the porcelain tub, gasping for air. Puck had instructed his distressed sister to go to her room before following his mother and, ignoring the fact that Rachel was stark naked, he had turned off the now freezing cold water and lifted her carefully out of the bathtub._

_He'd been immune to the sight of her exposed body as he held her upright and coached her to breathe much like he had on the day she'd told him of her attack, while Mrs Puckerman had briskly rubbed her dry, successfully warming the girl up and wrapping her in an oversized bathrobe. When there was the barrier of thick purple fleece between them, Puck had stood there with Rachel in his arms, gently rocking them side to side until she collected herself. She'd been mortified later but he'd been sincere when he told her he couldn't even conjure up a picture of how she looked without her clothes, and she'd believed him because much to her chagrin he was genuinely upset with his traitorous memory._

What scared him most though were the times when she would just space out. Initially it had taken just the touch of his hand or a kiss to her temple and the faraway look in her eyes would dissipate, and she'd smile at him and go back to whatever she had been immersed in at the time. But now he had to squeeze her hands firmly or grasp her face in his hands, calling her name repeatedly before she came back to herself. And when she did, she seemed confused and groggy.

He knew his mother and her fathers were worried about it too because he heard them talking in the kitchen one day when Puck had wandered down from his room to get a snack. Mrs Puckerman had consulted with a doctor at the hospital who agreed it was possible that she was suffering flashbacks of her assault but Rachel maintained she couldn't remember anything. When her fathers had delicately suggested she might want to go see a counsellor who specialized in sexual assault, she'd freaked out.

They hadn't brought it up again.

Just as the deafening silence between mother and son was about to reach breaking point, Rachel stormed into the room, almost tripping over the pile of clothes Puck had sloppily folded and stacked on the floor by the foot of his bed. He reached out to steady her but she had already righted herself and brushed past him to plop herself gracefully on an uncluttered space of floor.

"My fathers are impossible!" She announced dramatically, sweeping her gaze between Puck and Mrs Puckerman.

"Why is that sweetheart?" His mother indulged, pairing socks together.

Rachel, seeing that her own laundry was already neatly folded, reached into the basket and started to help Noah with his. He'd never seen so much of his clothing at the one time, but seeing as Rachel had taken to wearing his shirts to bed, everything he owned had been through the washing machine at least twice in the last week.

"They want to take me away."

Puck's head shot up her words and he noted her distress wasn't all theatrics.

"What the fuck do you mean, take you away?" Puck demanded, ignoring the identical looks of censure both women were sending him.

It was down right scary how similar those two could be.

"Language Noah." Rachel reprimanded quietly before turning her chocolate gaze on his mother. "Daddy thinks I'm repressing my emotions and that's why I'm prone to panic attacks. He thinks that taking me to see my mother and in having some girl on girl time, I'll open up and agree to see the counsellor he picked out."

The picture of Rachel engaging in girl on girl action popped into his head and he had to sadly bid it farewell and focus on the other thing she'd just said.

"You have a mother? I didn't know that."

Mrs Puckerman rolled her eyes in a manner that reminded Rachel of Noah himself. "Did you think she was born in a cabbage patch? Of course Rachel has a mother out there somewhere."

"Well sure, I guessed there was a woman involved somehow, you know with the womb and shit," Puck said awkwardly, "But I mean, you have two_ gay dads."_

"I'm well aware of their sexual orientation Noah," Rachel replied in annoyance and he sighed, "I just meant that I didn't know you had a relationship with your mom."

Rachel tugged on her hair distractedly. "I don't. I receive birthday cards every year and we exchange casual emails now and then, but I've only ever met her once and that was when I was 12. I've never actually spent a prolonged period of time with her." She paused, "My fathers keep in touch with her regularly though, and when Daddy talked to her last night she extended the invitation for me to visit."

Puck didn't like that word, 'prolonged', it implied that she'd be gone longer than a day or so and there was no way he could have her out of his sight for longer than that. He doubted Rachel could deal with that either since, aside from the night he went to see Morales, they'd been apart for no more than a few hours at a time since her attack. "Where does she live, and how long a time are we talking?"

"California, and for the rest of the summer." She answered and he scoffed.

There was just no way.

Evidently Rachel agreed with that assessment, "I told Daddy that I couldn't possibly contemplate a stay of that duration."

"Honey, do you _want_ to see your mom? Could you maybe go for a week instead?" Mrs Puckerman ventured gently, reading more into the play of emotions on Rachel's face than Puck was able to.

"I think I do." She confirmed, but her tone was hesitant. Puck reached out and laced his fingers through hers as she bit her lip in indecision and gazed at him. "California's along way from Lima."

"I could go with you." He didn't look at his mother for confirmation, but she was nodding her head in agreement anyway. Rachel was silent for a long time and her eyes lowered, resting on their entwined hands.

"I think my fathers might object to that." She said eventually. "Daddy's other concern was how reliant I've become on your presence. He thinks I could benefit from some time away from you."

Puck was genuinely puzzled. Sure Rachel's daddy James wasn't 100% in love with the idea of Rachel staying with him, but over the course of the last two weeks they had developed a comfortable rapport. Not as easy going as the one he shared with her dad Andy, but good enough that Puck was surprised James had suggested Rachel fly to the other side of the country in order to get away from him when they were the ones who had agreed to her staying with him in the first place. He couldn't understand their logic; surely they knew that not having him near would cause her more harm than good?

"Berry, you had a melt down when we went to the movies with Tina and Artie and you couldn't see me in the line for the snack bar." Puck stated deadpan, "Do you really think you could fly all the way to the West Coast and not miss me?"

He missed her already and she hadn't even agreed to go yet.

"I'm aware of the realities of our situation Noah. But you have to admit that my attachment to you isn't at all healthy."

Well it wasn't all bad. In fact, Rachel practically living with him was fucking awesome. He'd never been so content in his life than when he was just hanging around his house with her. Watching her prance around in his clothes was something he'd never get tired of and his sister and mom loved her. Like love_, loved _her. She fit so seamlessly into the fabric of their day to day existence and was practically a Puckerman in their eyes already; he sometime thought that if it wasn't for the fact that he called her by her last name and stole innocent kisses from her whenever she was within a foot of him, his family would forget she wasn't actually a blood relation.

Then there was the spooning. Yes, Noah Puckerman was a cuddler and he didn't care who knew it. Up until Mr Berry's objection today he'd had parental permission to have a smoking hot girl in his bed every damn night, and he had to admit waking up with Rachel wrapped in his arms was 10 times better than the best sex he'd ever had.

Well equal to it at least, he wasn't that much of a pussy.

Her eyes were searching his as he thought things over. "Aren't you tired of me?" She asked timidly hoping he'd deny it, which he did, heatedly. "Fuck no."

A ghost of a smile passed over her lips and she leant forward, pleased when he lowered his head to kiss it away.

Puck had been so careful with her since last Friday, keeping his kisses short and chaste. He indulged in them frequently, because as he said, she was hot and he just couldn't help himself. But he kept his touch light and was sure to break it off before her lips could tempt his in to overstepping the mark, which was usually about 3 seconds in. He didn't like it. Hell, she didn't either, but they didn't discuss it because both of them were hesitant to put a name to what they were doing.

Well, he _thought _they weren't labelling this thing they'd sort of fallen into, but what Rachel said next kind of forced it out of him. "My fathers are worried about us. They think I'm not dealing with what happened to me and that in the midst of my confusion I'm clinging to you and we're jumping into a relationship with emotional baggage that neither of us are prepared for."

"We're not in a relationship." He stated automatically and regretted it when he could see his words had hurt.

"Aren't we?"

Well shit.

"Well no… I mean yes." He couldn't really work it out. "We're…something I guess." His mother snorted, startling Puck who had forgotten she was still in the room.

Rachel was detangling her hand from his with a conflicted look on her face but he refused to let her go, knowing if he was going to back track he'd better start talking.

"No we are, but it's not really like a boyfriend/girlfriend thing right? I mean, I'm me and you're you and we're just…" _LAME_, his mind screamed and Rachel's reproachful gaze told him just how badly he was fucking up this conversation.

"Shit. Look Rach," He took a second to quickly gather his wits and slid off the bed so he was sitting on the floor beside her. "I like you ok? You have to know that. It's so obvious I feel like I've got a neon fucking light on my head blinking 'I'm hot for Berry' for the whole world to see." Puck ran a free hand nervously through his mohawk. "But we're so caught up in Langenthol's arrest, my court case and coming to terms with what happened with you. It's not the right time to worry about what we are..." he trailed off and she gave his hand a squeeze of encouragement to let him know he was redeeming himself. "You know I'm here for you, and we'll just deal with this shit together. And when it all calms down and we're both in the right frame of mind, we'll….you know." He shrugged awkwardly. "Explore it a little." It seemed to take forever for him to spit it all out and when he was finished he felt sick.

"And, uh." It was unlike Rachel to falter with her words. "Are you going to be, like… exploring with anyone else?"

His eyes softened at the look at vulnerability in her eyes. "Nope. I like my chicks crazy and you've got more of that going on than any broad I know, so I'll hold out for you." He reassured her, the queasiness easing as he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

She slapped his arm in indignation. "I'm not crazy." She muttered and he laughed, slinging his arm around her shoulder.

"Berry, you're the mayor of crazy town but I dig it."

She exchanged exasperated smiles with his mother and leant into his side.

"I just don't know where all this has come from. Daddy seemed fine with our arrangement up until today, and now he's so adamant that we've done the wrong thing." Rachel looked up at Puck, "It doesn't feel wrong. In fact, you're the one thing that feels right in this whole mess."

"Aw Honey, don't be upset with your father, he's just projecting." Mrs Puckerman explained patting the girl on her shoulder.

"Projecting?" Rachel queried as both teens looked at her in confusion.

"Projecting." Puck's mother confirmed. "Your Dad's miss you and they want you back home, especially in light of what your dealing with. As a parent, when your kids hurt, or get in trouble-" Mrs Puckerman glanced at her son before returning her kind gaze back to her, "All you want to do is kiss their boo-boos and make it all go away. Our worst nightmare is when we realize, for whatever reason, that we can't."

"I think maybe your Daddy is just a little bit jealous of Noah and wishes he were the one that were kissing your boo-boos instead. Though probably not in the same way." She hastened to correct shooting Puck a pointed look and Rachel blushed.

"Do you really think that's it?"

"I really do."

"You're very insightful," Rachel complimented her seriously and Mrs Puckerman laughed. "I like to think so." She said as she stood, bending down to bestow a kiss on Rachel's cheek and then after a moments hesitation, on Puck's too, before she left them to their privacy.

Puck watched Rachel's eyes drop to the carpet, her lips pursed as she seemed to be thinking seriously. It seemed like an eternity before she reached some kind of decision, and when she sought out his gaze, the pleading look on her face immediately made him wary. "You're not going to like this," she warned, "But I think I should try and stay at my house tonight, without you."

She was right, he didn't like it.

"I think that idea blows." He said bluntly, letting go of her hand and hoisting himself back on the bed, sitting on the edge with his arms crossed over his chest.

Rachel rose on her knees so she was pretty much kneeling in between his legs, her palms flat on his thighs.

In any other circumstances? _**HOT**_.

"You're not ready for that yet. It would be a mistake to force you into dealing with your freak outs alone before you're ready too."

She frowned, "Maybe I'm having the 'freak outs' as you so eloquently put it because I'm not trying to deal with them at all. Perhaps you're my metaphorical band aid and the longer I leave it on, the more it's going to hurt when it's ripped off. Who's to say my dad's can't comfort me just as well as you can?"

"They can't." He stated surely.

"I haven't let them try, not since the day after…you know. Your mother was right, they must feel terrible. I should give them a chance to help me."

He shook his head at her selfless reasoning, shifting his eyes away from her as his jaw clenched.

"Are you mad?" Rachel asked softly and he found himself looking anywhere but at her directly.

"Not at you." He replied eventually and she let him brood for a while.

When he was done, he looked down at her and sighed. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "This is a mistake." Puck informed her, his arms uncrossing their defensive pose to touch her cheek and then drop to her shoulders. "But if it's something you want to try, I won't make it difficult for you."

'Thankyou Noah."

"But," He continued, his expression broking no room for argument. "If you need me you call me, understood?"

She smiled in appreciation and nodded. "Can I take one of your shirt's with me?" She requested tentatively and his head turned towards the pile of laundry stacked in and around the basket.

"Take your pick."

Rachel leant over his thigh, running a hand over the choices in consideration before turning back to him. She placed a small hand on his chest. "I pick this one."

He laughed and waggled his eyebrow, immediately drawing the McKinley High t-shirt over his head and when his head was free of the white material, he was delighted to catch her checking out the tanned abdominals on display. Almost as if she couldn't help herself Rachel reached out to touch them, blushing when the muscles flexed under her fingers. Sure it wasn't the first time she'd seen him shirtless, but they were right there…

He laughed again and she snatched her hand back as if it had been burnt.

"Babe, I'm a stud. Don't be embarrassed." He winked and she rolled her eyes, rocking back on the balls of her feet and standing, snatching the shirt from him.

"The size of your ego astounds me." Rachel informed him needlessly, reaching under his bed for the overnight bag she had stowed there.

"Thanks." He grinned, leaning back lazily on his mattress as she wandered around the room collecting her scattered belongings. When she was done, she set the bag down at her feet and stood uncertainly as if she didn't quite know what to do next.

"All packed?" Puck asked solemnly, his amusement long since faded as the reality of her departure set in.

"Yes." She replied softly, still standing rooted to an imaginary spot.

"Do you have to go like, right now? Wanna watch a movie or something?" He got to his feet and pulled on a white wife beater and then a black button down shirt that he didn't bother to fasten.

"Sure." she replied eagerly and took his outstretched hand, aware that they were both stalling the inevitable separation but failing to care.

Late that night he alternated between circling his bedroom and pacing the bathroom, feeling something was amiss and then realizing with some dismay that it was like she'd never been there at all. His dirt bike magazines had been returned to their place on his nightstand and his toiletries no longer had to fight for dominance on the shelf in the bathroom. There were no girly creams and lotions to sniff when no-one was looking, or shoes half the size of his, kicked carelessly in the direction of the closet.

Checking his phone and seeing there were no messages from Rachel, Puck decided enough was enough, he could sleep without her there, _he could_. And more importantly, she'd be just fine on her own as well.

He tried to tell himself he believed that, but made sure his car keys were situated right next to his cell phone for easy access.

Just in case.

* * *

When his phone beeped the next morning at 7am, Puck was already awake and had been for some time.

He'd been lulled to sleep easily by the smell of Rachel's perfume still clinging to his pillow but had awoken in the middle of the night, reaching for the space where her warm body should have been and finding it cold. He'd tossed and turned after that, spending the remaining hours of darkness watching the numbers on his alarm clock click over.

_**MSG: Berry*: Are you awake?**_

_**MSG:Noah: yup r u?**_

_**MSG: Berry*: Obviously :) Can you come over?**_

_**MSG Noah: b thr in 15**_

He'd made it in 10, his poor truck groaning and shuddering in the driveway from the speeds he had pushed it to get there. As he lifted his fist to knock, Andy was already opening the door from the other side, prompting Puck to think he'd been looking out for his arrival.

He had been.

As Puck closed the door behind him and turned to look at the dark skinned man, he noted Andy looked as tired as he felt.

"She had a bad night." Andy said simply, in response to Puck's questioning glance. "James feels terrible about pushing her to come home, so please do me a favour and don't make it worse by saying anything to him."

Puck wasn't one for confrontations with parents, especially since both Mr Berry's had taken a liking to him, so he didn't think that would be a problem. However, a few minutes later after seeing the state Rachel was in, Puck actually growled and couldn't restrain the glare he sent her Daddy's way.

Rachel was seated at the breakfast bar, morosely fiddling with her spoon and staring at her yoghurt and fruit salad, when Andy preceded Puck into the kitchen and cleared his throat. Looked up and catching sight of Puck, Rachel leapt from her stool, knocking her bowl to the floor in her haste to get to him.

He caught her as she flung herself into his arms and he could feel the tremors that were racking her body. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in, his scent and the solidity of his warm mass calming her in a way the shirt he'd given her had failed to do the night before.

Her fathers stood side by side as their daughter was folded into muscular arms, watching as the mohawked teen rocked her gently, softly humming a tune that sounded suspiciously like 'Brown Eyed Girl'.

They wouldn't know, seeing as Rachel had spent majority of the last two weeks at Puck's house instead of theirs, but it looked like a practiced routine between the two as almost immediately, she visibly relaxed and the tears that she had started to shed at the sight of him, dried up when he cupped her chin and kissed her nose before landing a gentle kiss on her lips.

He held her to him with his arm around her waist, while with is free hand he pushed the tangled hair back from her face. She had dark circles under eyes that were puffy and bloodshot. He thought she still looked beautiful.

"I couldn't sleep."

He smiled sadly at her, "Me neither. My bed's too big without you in it. Why didn't you call me?"

Rachel fiddled with the collar of his shirt, it was an olive green and Kurt would be pleased to know Puck knew it complimented his eyes as well as his complexion.

"You know why."

He shot an angry look at James that happened to encompass Andy as well.

"Actually, I really have no fucking clue." He knew her fathers could hear him but Puck rose his voice just slightly, to ensure they heard every word. "I still don't see how this lameass idea of taking me out of the equation is meant to make it better. It's _hurting_ you, not helping."

James blanched because the teen was right. Rachel had spent the night crying into her pillow for no reason at all, only to appease her fathers who were more selfish than astute.

"Noah, I need to be able to function without you sooner or later." She reasoned, chastising him with a tone that told him she knew who his comment had been directed at.

"I pick later." he voted, capturing her hand and kissing her palm in a tender action that had Andy smiling to himself and resting his hand on his husbands shoulder. "And eventually you will, but you've had a really shitful time of it Rach and its going to take time to get past it. You need a security blanket, and apparently I'm it and no-one here is qualified to put a time limit on anything that makes you feel better."

He was pleased when she flashed him as small smile. "You could be right." She admitted, "Will you stay here for a while then? As much as I appreciate your mother's hospitality, I do miss my dads. And my elliptical machine." Rachel added thoughtfully. "I'd like to get back into some semblance of a routine."

Puck groaned. "Don't even think about setting your psycho alarm, that thing scares the shit out of me. And make sure you don't wake me up. As hot as your ass would look in those lycra pant things, I'd rather sleep through your little exercise regime."

He didn't bother to curb the swearing or lewd comments. If he really was going to spend a great deal of time in the Berry house, he wasn't about to put on airs and graces. They would get no frills Puck.

"You're vulgar." Her smile widened, and he kissed her lightly. "Yeah, well you're short."

"Very mature."

They were quiet for a moment and Puck could almost hear the wheels turning in her head, so he squeezed her waist. "What's up?"

Rachel sighed, her eyes troubled. "Do _you_ think I should go and talk to a counsellor, someone who_ is_ qualified to make sense of my feelings?"

"Yes." He answered simply, "I'm sure I've already told you that." He had, several times in fact. Usually after she'd broken down and he had spent the entire time stroking her back and feeling inadequate, having no idea what to say.

"I don't like talking to strangers." She admitted and he kissed her again. "Just pretend you're on stage, reciting a long and boring monologue that'd make me fall asleep or want to shoot my brains out."

Her smile returned, brighter than before. "Your faith in my ability as an actress is touching Noah."

He hid his confusion, he's pretty sure that's not what he meant, but whatever.

"You know," she was saying, "They say the best actresses always draw on their experiences to make their pieces that much better. Maybe I should look at this as material for that Oscar winning performance I'm going to give one day…" Her positivity faded and her shoulders slumped. "Though I imagine I'll never want to relive this particular drama again, on or off camera."

He wordlessly rubbed slow circles at the base of her spine in silent agreement.

"Alright." She took a deep breath and turned in his embrace to face her fathers, nestling back into his frame and resting her hands on the arms that were encircling her loosely.

"Daddy, I'd like to make an appointment with the counsellor you recommended I see." She stated resolutely, in her no nonsense Rachel Berry tone. "And although I would love the opportunity to visit my mother, I don't think this is the right time. I anticipate that the meeting would be emotional and I have enough on my mind without adding to it unnecessarily."

Her fathers were nodding, relieved that their daughter's emotional upheaval had been somewhat calmed with the arrival of Puck.

Catching sight of her spilt breakfast she squeezed Puck's arm indicating he should let her go, which he did, reluctantly. "Goodness, I made quite the mess in here. I'll just go and get the mop."

With the spring back in her step, all three men watched her go. When she was out of earshot Puck turned to James and ran a nervous hand over the Mohawk the older man seemed to detest so much.

"Mr Berry, I'm really sorry for what I said before. I just can't stand seeing her like that when I know I can help prevent it." He was sincere in his apology but couldn't help but add that last bit.

James was shaking his head. "Noah, it is I who should be making the apologies. I let my personal feelings get in the way of what's best for Rachel. As much as it pains me that I can't provide her with the comfort she so sorely needs, I'm thankful it's something she can get from you."

"Thanks Mr Berry."

James shot him a wry grin as Andy looked on in approval. "You can call me James. Since we'll all be spending so much time together, I think we should be on a first name basis don't you?"

Puck nodded but didn't return the smile. He just realised he'd agreed to staying in the Berry home indefinitely and although he seemed to be getting along with her fathers now, he wasn't going to hold his breath. Dad's tended not to like him, usually because they knew he was just as likely to bang their wives as well as their daughters. He watched uncomfortably as James kissed Andy's cheek and accepted the cup of coffee that his husband offered him.

On the bright side, at least there was no danger of him becoming between these two partners. Because, while Puck may ooze sensuality and be the embodiment of what his peers referred to as 'sex on a stick', he'd just never be in to men. His love was reserved for ladies only and one petite brunette in particular.

_Still_, Puck thought to himself with a small smirk. Whilst he had enjoyed lounging around his house in cut off sleeves and flexing his guns in Rachel's direction, it might be better to keep his hot bod under wraps in _this_ household. Because one Berry making moon eyes over him was pleasant, but if either of the Mr Berry's tried it, well… he shuddered. Some thoughts were best left alone.

* * *

_**OH: to Jkteen22 : Clearly this isn't the end JUST yet, but I'm winding down. I'm getting writers block with this fic far too easily these days and am anxious to get into the next idea floating around my Puckleberry-addled brain. Probably 2-3 more chapters left I'd say…. Thanks for your review, but 'cute and cuddly with lemons?' What does that mean? :)**_


	17. Chapter 16

_**AN: Apologies for the update delay. I blame my hopeless procrastinating and my compulsion to search the net night and day for new spoilers on the Back 9 :)**_

_**So this chapter goes on forever and is a little bit…. Well I don't know. As I've told many of you, I'm getting writers block and I'm just not feeling it *sad face*. But we'll persevere ok? Another 3 chapters to go I'd say, and then it's all over. As always thanks for your reviews gleeks! When my inbox fills up with your alerts and reviews it makes me warm and fuzzy inside :P **_

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* * *

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Puck was sitting slumped forward, with his elbows resting on his knees and his face hidden, buried in his hands.

Rachel bit her lip trying unsuccessfully to contain the laughter she felt bubbling up in her throat. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, her tone laced with amusement.

"No!" Puck's response was emphatic and he shook his head from side to side as he breathed into his palms. "Don't want to talk… don't want to think… don't want to see. Ever, ever again." His voice was muffled and Rachel rolled her eyes, wanting to tear his hands away so she could look at him, if only to snigger at the mortification she was sure was etched all over his handsome features.

"Noah you're being overdramatic." She said instead, sitting next to him on the edge of her bed and rubbing her hand soothingly over his broad shoulders. 'It could have been worse."

"Worse? Berry, I walked in on your Dad's having SEX in the kitchen. What exactly trumps that?" Finally he looked at her and just as she suspected, his face was aflame with embarrassment. The brunette felt the giggle spill from her lips and Puck scowled at her insensitivity to his distress.

"It's not funny!" he insisted darkly, his expression doing nothing to deter her mirth.

"They weren't having sex." She reiterated calmly for what seemed like the 10th time in as many minutes. "It was simply a kiss exchanged by two loving, wedded individuals."

"A kiss? A KISS?" The screech was very un-Puck like and Rachel's eyes widened as she leant back from him in surprise. He swooped in and pecked her lips in demonstration. "That's a kiss." He informed her needlessly. "What your Dad's were doing was so far beyond a kiss…with the hands and the skin and eek." He shuddered, convulsing as he almost dry retched. "If I live until I'm 90, I'll never be able to erase the image of the two of them. It's burnt into my brain." He exhaled loudly and flung himself backwards so he was lying across the width of the bed morosely staring at the light fixture.

Rachel leant over him, her hair brushing his face. "I warned you my fathers were openly affectionate and you assured me that bearing witness to that would pose no problem for you." She reminded him.

"That was before I saw them making out on the breakfast bar. Dude, that's where I _EAT_."

She stayed silent, gazing at him in adoration as he pouted cutely at the ceiling.

Puck meanwhile was blocking out the mental images of James perched on the counter, moaning as Andy, whilst gripping his husband's thighs, nuzzled his neck.

Wrong. On so many levels.

It was the middle of the day for Christ sakes. Could they not wait until the cover of darkness to defile each other, when he was tucked safely in their daughter's bedroom and unlikely to walk in on them and consequently be scarred for life?

He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud until he felt her giggles shaking the mattress underneath him. "I can't believe you're laughing at me." Puck muttered, glaring up at her.

"I'm not laughing at you." She promised, unable to wipe the grin from her face.

"Well you're sure as hell not laughing _with_ me coz this is fucking embarrassing. How am I supposed to look your dads in the eye ever again?" Puck closed his eyes and groaned. "I guess I'm lucky, my mom hasn't dated anyone since mine took off, so there's been no old people sex going on in my house. I don't know how you can deal with it, doesn't it like, gross you out?" He asked thoughtlessly.

Rachel hesitated for a moment knowing that he didn't expect an answer, but since he was the first one in a long time to address the more physical aspects of her father's relationship, she found herself wanting to talk about it. "When I was 12," she began tentatively. "I came in after dance practice with Lana Peterson, a girl who was in my advanced jazz class, and found my fathers in the living room with their pants around their ankles."

Her eyes flickered over him before settling on her hands. "It was the first time I'd actually caught them indulging in a blatant sexual act when I was old enough to understand what and why they were doing it."

"Lana had the gall to tell everyone that I'd invited her over to my house to purposely subject her to 'live gay porn', as she called it. None of the other girls in my class would socialize with me after that and the parents petitioned to have me removed from the dance school for being an indecorous influence on their children."

"Shit." Was all Puck could say, at a loss as to why she was telling him this. He didn't realize she had taken his flippant comment to heart, mistakenly thinking he was disturbed by their homosexuality and not just middle aged sex in general.

"Of course, that was after they'd called social services on my fathers. I spent 3 weeks in foster care until a case worker determined that their lifestyle posed no danger of psychologically damaging my development." She exhaled heavily, not wanting her mind to stray back to that particular dark month in her childhood. As part of the agreement with my social worker, we were subjected to fortnightly visits from the Department of Family Services and had to attend family counselling to create 'open lines of communication' about my father's relationship with each other and mine with them."

"Those sessions were really the only time I spoke with my father's at all for the longest time." She paused, "Making friends has never been easy for me and I was so angry at them for alienating the one person who hadn't been put off by my abrasiveness and had seemed to be responding to my overtures of friendship."

"I yelled and screamed, telling them that their actions were inappropriate and unseemly. That their sexuality was offensive to me and that I would never forgive them for depriving me of 'normal' parents."

Puck whistled quietly, engrossed in her story. "How'd they take that?"

Rachel smiled slightly though her humour had long since dissipated. "My daddy cried for days and my dad pulled me aside and told me how disappointed he was in me for acting out and defaming them."

She focused on his intent hazel eyes. "The thing is Noah, my dad knew I was lying when I said those deplorable things. I have never had a problem with my fathers being gay. They love each other and their dedication to each other is something to be admired, not ridiculed. I realize how incredibly lucky I am to have two such supportive and loving parents."

He sat up and turned to face her. "So why'd you say it then?"

Rachel blew out a deep breath, "You mean apart from the fact that I was exploring the role of prepubescent brat?" She questioned wryly. "I think maybe it's because there was a small element of truth in my words. As much as I am accepting of their lifestyle, sometimes I wish things were different, for their sake. Do you know the fierce opposition their marriage faces in a town as small as ours, even after all these years? People can be cruel. My father's always claim it doesn't matter to them what other people say, but the disgusted stares and the insults that get openly directed at them when they're out takes a toll on them."

"Even now, when people spray paint 'fag spawn' on my locker or tape pornographic pictures of men to my windshield, I feel that I _should_ be ashamed of them and for being their daughter."

"The last thing you should be is ashamed Rachel." Puck stated earnestly, taking her hand and rubbing small circles on her palm with his thumb. "Your father's are both great men, not like the pathetic excuse for a human being that left my mom when she was pregnant with Beth."

"I know." Her smile was more sincere this time around. "I really wouldn't change them for anything, even though that entails occasionally being subjected to the more physical aspects of their relationship."

Puck nodded, looking pained. "I get what you're saying, but shit Rach, I still gotta go down there and face them. It's not so much the fact that I saw two dudes making out, it's the fact that they're _parents_." He shifted uncomfortably. "Aren't they a bit old to be fornicating in broad daylight?"

"Fornicating?" She teased him with an arch of her eyebrow. "I do believe my exemplary vocabulary is rubbing off on you Noah Puckerman."

"Shut up." He returned good naturedly.

"In any case, I don't see what age has to do with anything. Is there some rule that states when one is over the age of 30 their sex life has to be contained to the hours of darkness and confined to ones bedroom?" Rachel queried. "Do you plan on abiding by those terms yourself when you reach that age Noah? That doesn't seem very 'badass' or 'studly' to me."

He rolled his eyes, "Of course that doesn't apply to me Rach," he said in a tone that suggested that fact was obvious. "I _am_ a stud babe, are you questioning my badassness?"

They both grinned at each other, recalling with perfect clarity the time he had been in her room, working on mash up ideas and the conversation that had followed their first make out session.

"Have you seen my guns?" Puck quoted, his eyes dancing.

Rachel leant forward, leaning a hand on his thigh. 'Your arms are lovely Noah." She said throatily, moistening her lips and making him swallow hard. "Wanna make out?" She stole his line and he chuckled, stealing hers.

"Sure."

He let her take the lead, knowing that for now, she was more comfortable that way. Besides, he had learnt that their kisses were more intense and were strung out for longer when Rachel felt she was in control.

She kissed the pulse point at the base of his throat first, smiling into his neck when she felt the rhythm increase under her ministrations. Moving along his jaw Rachel laced her fingers behind his neck and finally brushed her lips over his.

He felt her fingers stroke the stripe of hair along his scalp as she kissed him slowly, not wanting to rush through the moment. She sucked his lower lip into her mouth and then traced her tongue along it until she felt him part his lips beneath hers, eagerly allowing her access into the warm recess of his mouth.

Today he tasted faintly like her cinnamon toothpaste coupled with coffee, an intoxicating combination that she decided was probably her favourite 'Noah' flavour. Rachel stroked his tongue languidly with her own as he tangled his hand loosely in her hair, tilting his head to give her better access. The kiss deepened and he couldn't hold back a moan of satisfaction at the weight of her pressed up against him.

She shivered as his hands slid down her back and underneath her tank top, his calloused fingertips caressing the expanse of skin across her lower back. "_Noah_." Her voice hitched and her lips left his for only a second as she breathed his name, before she blindly sought out his mouth again.

A few minutes later, Puck broke away, resting his forehead against hers.

"What is it?" She asked in concern, afraid she had done something wrong.

"I thought I heard something, that's all." Puck answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He was just leaning in for another kiss when a sharp knock rapped on the closed door. Rachel scooted back a respectable distance before calling out for whoever it was to come in.

Andy cautiously opened the door and his gaze strayed automatically to Puck who was determinedly looking everywhere but at the older man.

"Noah, your mother is here. It's just on 1 o'clock. We should get going if we want to make it downtown by 1.30."

Puck had his first meeting that afternoon with the lawyer Andy had organized to represent him in his upcoming court case. By earlier agreement, Rachel was babysitting Beth while her Daddy was at work and Andy accompanied Puck and his mother to the appointment.

"Ok. I'll just change my shirt and be right down." Puck found himself still unable to look directly at the dark skinned man, missing the rueful smile he exchanged with his daughter.

"I'll see you downstairs then."

"Great." Puck muttered as the door closed and Rachel bumped her shoulder against his and told him to hurry.

Puck got up with a sigh and crossed to Rachel's closet where a freshly laundered navy blue dress shirt was hanging. He had no qualms about changing in front of her, and in no time at all was ready with his fresh shirt tucked into the only pair of unripped jeans he owned, accessorised with a black belt.

He walked back to the bed to pull Rachel gently to her feet, standing still with an exaggerated gesture of patience as she straightened his collar before leading him downstairs. Puck dragged his feet, wanting to prolong his departure. Not only was he dreading being alone in the company of his mother and Andy, the former who was still barely talking to him, he was anxious about the meeting with his legal representation.

When Rachel had been engrossed in watching West Side Story last night, Puck had commandeered her laptop and did some looking into the penalties for the charges Langenthol was pressing against him. Both Mr Berry's had guaranteed that he had nothing to worry about, given Langenthol's own trouble with the law. That and the fact a handful of students had come up to bat for Puck, providing eyewitness statements detailing the comments about Rachel that Alex had baited Puck with after Finn, Matt and Mike had intervened.

However despite their assurances, Puck felt uneasy. Especially since his internet searching had detailed some pretty heavy fines and jail time for convictions on the charges he was facing.

Beth threw her arms around her brother's legs as soon as he stepped off the staircase behind Rachel. "Noah! When are you coming home? I miss you! Do you want to watch Finding Nemo with me?" her bright green eyes sparkled up at him and Puck smiled at her, running his fingers through her chestnut curls. "Sorry squirt, I have to go out with mom and Mr Berry but I bet if you ask Rachel real nice, she'll be happy to watch it with you."

Beth peered around his legs at Rachel who was nodding her head in agreement. "I was thinking it might be nice to make some sugar cookies this afternoon. Would you care to be my assistant Beth?" The little girl nodded eagerly and pushed at her brother's waist, urging the others to be on their way so she and Rachel could get on with their fun.

Rachel giggled at her antics but followed the small group to the door. Andy and Mrs Puckerman said goodbye and walked to the car while Puck lingered back. Rachel watched him fidget and she placed her hands over his, stilling their movements.

"Are you nervous?"

He scoffed at her question, intending on hiding his anxiety but when he met her warm chocolate gaze, he felt himself nodding. "Yeah." He admitted quietly and he was rewarded with a tight hug. "You'll be fine Noah." She promised and he let the sensation of her breasts squished firmly against his chest cheer him up.

At the honking of the horn Rachel pushed him out the door with a parting kiss on the cheek, keeping her smile in place as she and Beth waved the trio off. It was only when the car had disappeared from view did Rachel frown, giving in to her own concern. Noah wasn't the only one who could Google and he should really learn to clear the internet cache when he was done browsing.

Determined to forget about all of it until they returned with a better idea of what Noah was facing, Rachel plastered on a happy face and turned to the youngest Puckerman who had been rambling on in excitement. "Alright Beth, Finding Nemo it is!"

* * *

It had only been just over 3 hours since their departure but by the time she heard her Dad's car pull into the driveway, Rachel was exhausted. Children were hard work. They had to be entertained every moment and you couldn't take your eye off them for a second unless you wanted liquids spilt and mess from one end of the room to the other, even when you thought they were old enough to know better, which Rachel made the mistake of thinking Beth was.

Rachel had stolen up to her bedroom for a few minutes while Beth was entertained by Dora and Marlin, to retrieve her phone and check if there were any messages from Noah. Upon her return, the sofa cushions were uprooted on the floor, the coffee table sat skewered on an angle and DVD cases that had previously been shelved neatly in rows on the TV unit were strewn across the floor, with the suspected culprit MIA.

Rachel had then heard cupboards slamming in the kitchen and found Beth, standing on a chair in front of the pantry, dropping sundry items of rice and pasta packets dismissively on the floor in her search for a snack.

'Thank god you're back!" Rachel exclaimed with feeling when her Dad and Sarah Puckerman entered the kitchen. Beth had fallen asleep in front of her 2nd movie choice, The Princess Diaries, leaving Rachel to deal with the disaster that was the kitchen after their failed attempt at making sugar cookies.

Next to the bin sat a plastic bag full of burnt and inedible biscuits that were ruined after Rachel's concentration on the oven timer was diverted by Beth's screams; the bathroom downstairs had been flooded as a result of the excessive wads of toilet paper the little girl had stuffed into the toilet bowl.

Catching sight of Rachel's frazzled look, Mrs Puckerman shot her an apologetic smile. "Quite the handful was she?"

Rachel smiled back tiredly. "Beth, I find, is a most convincing type of contraception. You should bottle her and you'd make a fortune." Andy and Noah's mother laughed.

"Where's Noah?"

The laughter abruptly died and the two adults shared a look Rachel could not decipher.

"Dad?"

Andy sighed, "Noah just needs a few hours to himself to work through some things."

Rachel felt her stomach clench. "What kind of things? What happened? What did the lawyer say?"

Mrs Puckerman put her arm around her shoulders and led Rachel to sit at the small table by the bay window, throwing instruction over her shoulder for Andy to make some tea.

"The lawyer your father hired is very good." Mrs Puckerman began. "His name is Doug Adams and he has a lot of experience with juvenile cases such as this. We all feel quite comfortable having him represent Noah."

"But?" Rachel prompted impatiently, hating it when people felt the need to sugar coat bad news.

'But," Mrs Puckerman continued, "Doug was adamant that we consider the worst case scenario and the possibility that the Judge assigned to preside over the hearing may take Lagenthol's actions into minimum consideration in relation to the charge Noah is facing."

Rachel could only stare at the older woman, uncomprehending.

"Which means?"

Mrs Puckerman looked to Andy for help and he put down the ceramic mugs he had retrieved from the cupboard and crossed to his daughter's side, taking the seat next to her and placing his large hand on her shoulder.

"Doug's worried that Noah's track record might come back to hurt him. In cases like this, Judge's like to thoroughly look over the minor's academic records before deciding on appropriate sentencing, and place great importance on character references." Andy paused before clarifying delicately, "Now Noah is the first to admit that his record is less that stellar. He failed almost all of his classes last year and I have on good authority from Ms Pillsbury that the school has quite a detailed dossier on Noah, majority of which focuses on his bullying and physical altercations with other students."

Rachel shook her head helplessly, glancing between her father and Mrs Puckerman. "That's not fair. Noah has changed, he hasn't thrown anyone into a dumpster in months!"

Mrs Puckerman spluttered, "Excuse me? Noah was throwing kids into dumpsters?"

"Well, just Kurt." Rachel amended hastily, "And Noah almost always let him take off his designer pieces first so his clothing wasn't ruined." She defended loyally, "Besides, they're friends now. And all of the original Glee club members forgave him long ago for the slushie facials."

Puck's mother closed her eyes and passed a weary hand over her face while Andy too looked suitably surprised. "Slushie facials?" She repeated faintly, just then realizing that her son's juvenile antics far exceeded what she had imagined.

Rachel had the belated good grace to shut up, knowing her mouth had betrayed Noah enough for one afternoon. (Though she silently congratulated herself for refraining to mention Noah's fondness for porta potty torture). She had a feeling Mrs Puckerman would take that particular prank badly, seeing as one meeting with Artie had seen the older woman completely enamoured with the wheelchair bound boy.

"Never mind." The petite brunette muttered, the colour high in her cheeks. "So this Doug believes Noah's former bullying is going to overshadow all of his extra curricular activities, the fact that he has demonstrably reformed himself and most importantly, that he was defending me against Alex Langenthol and what that cretin did to me?"

"Doug is sure the Judge will take _why_ Noah attacked Lagenthol into some account," Her father replied as Mrs Puckerman squeezed her hand. "But we hope the Judge doesn't choose to highlight his previous altercations and try and make an example of Noah, setting a harsher punishment than what he deserves."

"He doesn't deserve to be punished at all!" Rachel exclaimed, tears of anger springing to her eyes.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Her Dad placated gently, patting her shoulder. "But Noah is aware that he needs to prepare himself for the possibility that the Judge sees things differently."

Rachel swallowed thickly. "What kind of penalties will be considered?" She asked, her voice quivering.

Andy and Mrs Puckerman seemed to have a silent conversation using only their eyes. The action infuriated the younger woman. "Tell me." She demanded, her voice steadier.

"Given that Noah is 17, if they sentence him harshly he'll go into a Juvenile Detention Centre until he's 18 and then…" Andy trailed off grimacing.

"Jail?" Rachel whispered in disbelief and neither adult could correct her assumption, because it was the truth.

"For how long?"

Andy shrugged, his gaze studiously refusing to meet hers.

"Dad. How long?" Rachel practically growled, an indication that she had been spending far too much time with Puck.

"2-8 years." He answered quietly and Rachel gasped, jumping to her feet and pushing her chair back roughly.

"That's absurd! There's no way, how can they-" She gestured wildly as her eyes darting erratically around the room.

"Calm down sweetheart." He dad soothed, standing also and gripping her upper arms hard enough to halt her jerky movements but gently enough so they she could break away easily if she felt uncomfortable.

"Don't forget what Sarah said earlier, Doug just wants us to be aware of the realities of the situation and was making sure we considered the absolute worst case scenario. It's more likely that with Lagenthol's arrest, his merit of his pressing charging on Noah is proved as questionable and the entire case could be dismissed. Or the judge could sentence him to community service hours instead."

Mrs Puckerman spoke up in agreement, "Your father's right Rachel. We're probably worrying over nothing and we need to keep positive for Noah's sake. He's taking this pretty hard."

Rachel bit her lip. "Where is he?" She asked again. She needed to see him.

"I don't know." His mother admitted. "He just said he needed some time to himself."

"Oh." Rachel said quietly, ignoring the hurt she felt that Noah hadn't come to her for comfort in the wake of his bad news. He'd been there for her every step of the way since her attack and while she wished Noah wasn't in this position at all, she welcomed the chance to turn the tables and provide as much support to him as he had given her.

"How much time?" She asked ventured to ask, her voice small.

"He didn't say, but he knows that it's Mexican night. I'm certain he'll be home in time for enchiladas." Andy comforted, releasing her with a kiss to her forehead. 'Now, who wants tea?"

* * *

Puck didn't make it to the Berry house for dinner. Instead, in a practiced move, he had dejectedly loitered outside the 7/11 until some poor schmuck had taken pity on him and brought him a six pack. Beer in hand he headed across the road to the park, seating himself on a swing and cracking open the first can.

Before he had the opportunity to take a second sip, the crunching of someone treading on the dry chip bark behind him had Puck automatically tensing, his caution dispersing a second later when Finn ambled into view.

"Hey Man." His friend grinned, plopping into the swing beside him and rocking himself back and forth. "I thought that was your 'hawk I saw. What are you doing here? Did Rachel let you out tonight on good behaviour?"

Puck winced at Finn's poor wording. "She doesn't know I'm here." He answered flatly. 'I just need some downtime."

Finn frowned, studying his childhood comrade with concern. "What's up bro? Is everything ok between you and Rach?"

He nodded wordlessly before taking a long swill of his beverage.

"So you're sitting here, drinking by yourself why?"

Puck spared the Quarterback a glance before bending down and tossing a can Finn's way. "There, now I'm not drinking alone."

Finn hesitated for a moment and then shrugged, complying with Pucks request and opening his own can, cursing as the froth bubbled up and spilled over the rim. He hurriedly slurped up the wastage, enticing a small smirk from his friend.

The two jocks sat and swang in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts, Finn's albeit more pleasant.

"I could go to jail." Puck said unexpectedly after a while, his tone matter of a fact.

Finn choked on his drink and coughed, thumping his chest to dislodge the yeast induced tightness that came from the beverage going down the wrong way.

"Jail? What the hell? For what?" Finn demanded, his eyes wide.

"Punching Langenthol." Puck answered and then in stilted short sentences, he told Finn everything that the lawyer had detailed to him that afternoon.

"What bullshit!" the taller boy exclaimed angrily, his caramel coloured eyes burning. "The guys at our school get into scuffles all the time, I thought it was a joke when Lagenthol pressed charges. You can't go to jail for a swift uppercut to the jaw." Finn was shaking his head dismissively, "otherwise we'd all be screwed."

Puck shrugged, "I thought it was fucked up too and for sure the charges would be dropped when they actually got Langethol on what he did to Rachel."

"But there you go. The charges stand and if the judge doesn't take a liking to me, it could be up to 8 years for me behind bars."

Both boys exhaled heavily. "Quinn was right, I am a Lima loser." Puck commented glumly.

Finn looked at him in disgust, "You are if you believe that, douchebag." He added the insult before proclaiming confidently. "As I've said before, you've done some fucked up shit but you're different now. The Judge will see that."

Puck met his unwavering gaze. "What if they don't?" He looked so uncertain and yes, a tad scared. The expression didn't sit right with Finn who was not used to seeing his friend completely stripped of his confident Puck façade.

Finn just shook his head. "You can't think about that man, it'll be fine."

"I have no choice but to think about it." Puck retorted, his tone more urgent. "I have a family depending on me. Mom relies on me to look after the house while she works. She can't juggle her job and a kid, the grocery shopping, the maintenance…." He trailed off, "Then there's Beth, she needs a paternal figure. I'm not perfect and I don't know what I'm doing half the time, but-"

"You're a good brother Puck." Finn interrupted. "You've always been great with your sister. Thanks to you, she doesn't miss not having a Dad, not like we do."

Puck nodded, despite his misgivings he knew he was a better dad to Beth than their real father could have been.

"And Rachel." Puck ran his hand through his Mohawk. "Fuck, she'll blame herself. She'd not strong enough yet to have to deal with this. This will crush her. I don't want her worrying about me."

Finn punched his shoulder, "Dude, seriously. You have to stop being so negative."

"You'll go nuts if you keep this up. It'll be _fine_." He stressed the fine. "When it's all over you'll realize how much of a pansy you're being right now and I call dibs on giving you shit about it for life."

Puck rolled his eyes and nodded, finishing his can and reaching for a second. "Sure, sure."

He skulled half the contents before wiping the back of his hand over his mouth and turning his head back to Finn. "You'll be there, right. For them I mean, if I can't be?"

Finn blinked, "You know I will be." He replied seriously and the two teens nodded at each other in understanding, nothing else needing to be said.

"Ok." Puck took another long drink, crumpling the now empty can in one hand and tossing it carelessly to the side.

When he reached for the next can, Finn put a restraining hand on his arm, "Dude, do you really want another one? Rachel will flip out if you stumble in her house reeking like beer."

Puck shrugged him off, opening his third defiantly. "Give me a break man. I've been on my best behaviour for weeks, I need to cut loose."

Finn was worried, the 'Puck sneer' was back in force and though his friend had given no indication that he intended to revert back to type, he hoped the stress of Rachel's ordeal and the upcoming court case would not prove too much for Noah to handle. All the gleeks had marvelled at the affect Rachel's attack had on the former bad boy and though they were hopeful Puck's transformation would last, privately they all wondered whether his sudden personality transplant could be sustained.

Puck must have read the suspicion on Finn's face because he let out a loaded sigh. "Look, I'm not being an asshole. I know Rachel's fine. My mom and her dad's are home with her, she probably doesn't even realize I'm not there."

Blatant lie and they both knew it.

"I just can't handle her right now. I can't pretend to be ok and as I said, I don't want her to worry about me. I can't go back there until I've got this little funk out of my system." He held up his fresh can and gave it a little shake. "This is the way I'm going to do it. If you don't approve, you don't have to watch."

There was no way Finn was going to leave him there to wallow. "Come back to my place. My mom's away at my Aunts so we can drink and play Call of Duty without the cops walking by and busting us for underage drinking." Puck couldn't argue with the uncharacteristic reasoning.

He nodded, tucking the remaining two cans in the pockets of his light weight jacket and falling into step with Finn as they walked the few blocks to the Quarterback's house. "At least text her so she knows where you are."

Puck let out a grunt of irritation at Finn's request as he dug his phone out of his pocket, not admitting that he was intending to do just that anyway.

_**MSG Berry*: hey babe gonna b out 4 awhile b back l8er. u ok?**_

A reply beeped almost immediately.

_**MSG Noah: It's not me you should be concerned about. Parentals explained everything. Are you certain you're alright? Where are you?**_

Puck marvelled at the content she typed in that short space of time. Typical Berry, using perfect grammar while texting, the girl needed to learn how to abbreviate.

_**MSG Berry*: w/finn am FINE :) **_

He added a smiley to take the sting from his message.

_**MSG Noah: Alright then. Have fun and pass on my regards to Finn.**_

Puck pocketed his phone. "Berry says hi." Finn grinned happily and waved his hand dorkily. "Tell her hi back." The mohawked boy shook his head. "Dude." Just when he thought Hudson was growing back the brain cells he had lost being dropped on his head as a baby or some shit, he acted like a total goof. But Puck glanced fondly at his friend as they walked, thankful once more that they were back on good terms.

A few hours later, when Puck had managed to single handedly finish not only the two 7/11 beers, but half the case Finn had hidden from his mother in their garage, Finn pried Puck's phone from his hand as the teen snored on unawares, sprawled out on his bed. Covering his houseguest with a light blanket, Finn backed out of his bedroom turning out the light as he went.

When he was safely out of earshot, Finn scrolled through the contact list and pressed call when Berry* was highlighted. He could have used his own cell phone, but he was low on minutes _and_ on cash and since it looked as though he was banished to the couch for the night, he had no qualms about putting a dent in Puck's own call time.

"Noah?"

"Uh, no it's Finn."

"Oh." There was no mistaking the dejection in her tone.

"Puck's going to crash here tonight. He fell asleep and I don't want to wake him. The last time I did he lashed out and almost took my head off."

It was a true story actually, but Rachel wasn't buying it.

"What's wrong Finn? Is Noah upset with me? I can understand if he holds me accountable for his current predicament, seeing as though after I involved him in my situation he felt he had no other recourse but to-"

"Rach, breathe." Finn interrupted, a small smile playing on his lips. "Puck's not upset with you." And he really wasn't. Towards the end of his drinking binge when he was well and truly intoxicated, Puck quite aggressively proclaimed he wasn't sorry at all for what he'd done to Langenthol and could only hope they ended up in the same detention centre or jail so Puck could finish him off like he'd wanted to weeks ago. Rachel, he had declared, was worth it.

"Then why-"

"He's drunk."

Rachel breathed down the phone. "Oh Noah." She sighed.

"No, it's Finn." The boy said again, confused and Rachel bit back a giggle at his cluelessness.

"I know Finn, I was just lamenting over Noah's actions."

"Right, well I know that you don't like to be away from him at night and I really would bring him home to you but there's no way I can lift his dead weight."

"No, that's alright. I wouldn't expect you to have to contend with that task. Thank you for your call Finn, I appreciate the notification."

Finn knew all about Rachel's separation anxiety, so he found himself offering to pick her up should she wanted to come and stay at his house with Puck.

"Thank you for the invitation, but I'll be fine here at home." She answered, touched at his consideration.

"Are you sure? Because Puck said-"

"I'm sure." She promised sincerely and she thought to herself that perhaps she was. Having Puck with her at her own house had done wonders for her comfort levels and over the past week, she found herself able to fall asleep without incident while Puck remained downstairs watching baseball with her Dad. And the couple of times she had woken to find him absent from her bed, as he used the bathroom or when he'd got up early one morning to go for a run with Matt, she wasn't immediately consumed by panic like she used to be. Rachel thought she might be making progress, even if she hadn't quite mustered up the courage to face the counselling sessions she had agreed to.

"Well if you're sure." Finn said. "I'll send him home first thing."

"Alright. Thank you again Finn."

"You're welcome, goodnight Rach."

"Goodnight Finn."

He disconnected the call and then tiptoed back to his door, cautiously pushing it open and wincing when the hinge creaked loudly. Puck let out a loud snore, unperturbed by the intrusion and Finn stealthily slinked over to place the cell phone on the stand by his bed, but not before setting the alarm for 5.45 am.

He grinned evilly to himself as he crept back out and made his way downstairs to his own makeshift bed. No sense in making things too comfortable for his friend, otherwise he was likely to take advantage of Finn's hospitality on a regular basis. Finn grimaced as he tried vainly to twist his large frame into a comfortable position on the two seater couch. Sure the guy was basically his brother, but Finn was practically a giant and the sofa was freaking uncomfortable. He bunched the pillow under his head and curled up on his side, feeling the spring dig into his hip.

Yep. This sleepover thing was a one time deal only.

_**Up next: Puck faces the music at his court hearing**_

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_**AN: Hey peeps. If any of you are on Twitter, firstly you need to 'follow' me so I can follow you back and count down the days with you until the new episodes (I'm sassy_26). And secondly, the lovely diva divine came up with the best hash tag ever #teampuckleberryREPRESENT which we think should be a TT. So for that to happen, we need other people to join us in our plight! And FYI- if you haven't read any of her fics, you so should because just today she posted a one shot of Puck in M-urse mode as he attends to a sick Rachel. So sweet and fluffy it had me going awwwww all afternoon :)**_


	18. Chapter 17

_**AN: Hey kids. Over 300 reviews, I'm completely floored! Puckleberry fanatics are totally awesome and I'm loving all of my new-found twitter friends…I promise to never accuse you of distracting me again, I don;t want to risk all your wrath; you make me laugh too much!**_

_**I'm splitting my update into two chapters, since as we know, I like to ramble and couldn't seem to get to the point this time around. I'll bust my butt to get the next one up before Monday, because I'm moving house then and will be without internet for a couple of days….trust me, I'm feeling the withdrawals already!**_

* * *

Puck woke just after 2am, completely disorientated. Though the room was blanketed in pitch black darkness, he was certain the bed in which he was sprawled was not his own. The mattress sagging under his body was too lumpy, the smell permeating the air too stale.

The absence of a warm, soft body pressed against his side told him her wasn't in Rachel's bed either and he frowned, wincing as a sharp pain pierced his skull and his stomach recoiled. Puck turned onto his side with a groan, reaching out blindly. His hand came in contact with a solid surface and after a cautious grope he felt his fingers wrap around the distinct shape of his cell phone.

A touch of a button saw the screen light up and he had to squint to make out the numbers on the clock face in the top left hand corner.

2.10am.

With another groan, Puck raised the hand gripping his cell above his head, using the dim beam from the device to take stock of his surroundings. He recognised the hideous western wallpaper of Finn's bedroom.

Snapshots of his night came back to him.

7/11. Beer. Finn. Video games. More beer. The week old pizza that, since it wasn't growing green shit, they still deemed good enough to snack on. More video games. More beer.

Puck's stomach rolled again. Yeah, eating that pizza was not one of their better ideas.

Looking back at his phone once the glaze had lifted from his gaze, he saw the envelope icon that indicated he had an unread text. His thumb fumbled on the keypad as he struggled to open the message.

MSG Berry*: Sweet dreams Noah xoxo

_Shit. Rachel._

Swinging his legs over the side of Finn's narrow bed, Puck ran an unsteady hand over his face as the light emanating from his phone extinguished, plunging the room into darkness once more.

While he would like nothing more than to crawl back into the bed, pull the covers over his head and succumb once more to sleep, he knew he needed to get up and make his way back to Rachel's. He was disgusted with himself and the cowardice that had allowed him to stay across town, drinking himself into oblivion when she might have needed him. He really was a douche.

Rising on unsteady legs, Puck shuffled blindly toward the door. As he made his way down the hall towards the stair case, he caught sight of his haggard reflection in the mirror and grimaced. He looked like death.

Changing course, he headed for the bathroom instead. He smelt like a brewery and the inside of his mouth tasted like sawdust and cigarettes. Before he went anywhere, he needed to take a shower and he had no weird cootie phobia that would prevent him from using Finn's toothbrush.

He was almost positive his friend wouldn't mind at all.

* * *

20 minutes later, Puck had snuck out of the house and into the night. He shivered against the chilly night and shoved his hands into his jean pockets as he made the long trek back to the Berry household.

Later, when he was inserting the key he'd been entrusted with into the lock of the front door, he couldn't feel his cheeks from the cold but his head felt clearer, the fresh air having a positive and sobering effect.

He locked the door quietly behind him and crept up the stairs, past Rachel's fathers' room, whose bedroom door was wide open. He figured they must have purposely left it that way so they could hear Rachel if she cried out. The possibility of her doing so as a result of his absence, only increased his self loathing. Sure he'd been upset and consumed with his own drama, but that didn't excuse him for disregarding the fact that he was supposed to be here, with her. Not playing video games and singing 'Bad to the Bone' while he was drunk off his mother fucking ass.

Oh god, he had really done that.

Sung.

No… _performed_.

He has a distinct recollection of hip thrusting and air guitar riffs and thinks that Finn may have recorded it on the flipcam that seemed to rarely leave his hands these days. Puck had followed that song with a rousing rendition of 'Every Little Thing She Does is Magic' which he'd proclaimed to the non existent audience in Finn's living room, was dedicated to Rachel. He made a mental note to confiscate the camera tomorrow; there was no way in hell he'd allow Hudson to upload that shit on You Tube. How fucking embarrassing.

When he reached the white door with the gold star, he found it ajar and he silently inched it open further so he could slip inside. He stilled when he heard the sheets rustle as Rachel moved, not wanting to wake her, listening instead to her steady breaths as she slept on.

Her ladybug night light was plugged into the wall, so Puck could just make out the outline of her body, curled up into a tight ball facing the wall with her back towards him. Puck discarded his shirt and undressed to his boxers. Looking forward to sleep, he carefully slipped under the covers, letting out an inaudible sigh of contentment as he settled himself behind her, moulding his body around hers like he'd done dozens of times before.

Rachel awoke with a start as she felt her mattress dip. She'd been lightly dozing on and off for hours, feeling out of sorts in a bed that was suddenly to large for her solitary small frame, unable to fall into a deep sleep. The first thing that assaulted her senses was the overpowering stench of axe. She'd never cared for the scent that was so popular among teen boys, thankful that Noah's own cologne was more masculine, its spicy aroma subtle and more pleasing on the nose. As she released that fleeting thought, her drooping eyes shot open and her body tensed.

Someone was in her bed.

When a thick arm wrapped around her waist and she felt a rock solid body press against her back, Rachel couldn't think- she just reacted.

An ear piercing scream had Puck jerking back in alarm and tumbling off the bed, landing on the floor with a heavy thud.

Almost immediately he could hear two sets of feet hit the ground running heading in their direction, then sound was drowned out by Rachel's shrieks and the thud of her pillow connecting repeatedly with his face.

He tried to identify himself but his words were lost in the commotion.

"Ra-" _***OOMPH***_ The first hit muffled his words.

"Me!" _***WHACK, WHACK***_ She went the double smack, the corner of the pillow hitting his eye and making it water.

"Calm-" _***THUMP* **_She'd brought that one down directly on the top of his head, her position above him allowing her to exert considerable force. His jaw snapped together at the impact, his teeth clipping his tongue and drawing blood.

One of her dad's must have hit the lights as they ran in, as suddenly the room was flooded with light and they all froze. Rachel had her 'weapon' suspended in mid air as she stared at him and when her brain finally caught up and she recognised him, the pillow dropped from her hands and she burst into tears.

"Rach, oh Rach." He crooned as he pushed himself up off the floor and started to crawl across the bed toward her. 'It's just me, you're ok."

It was like she couldn't understand what he was saying. She was shaking her head frantically and pushing at his hands as he tried to touch her. "No, no, no!"

His gut twisted and he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Ok sweetheart, ok. I'm not going to touch you." Their eyes met and held and he nodded encouragingly at her.

"You're alright." He promised softly. "You're safe. We're here at your house." He gestured to where he knew her fathers were standing, just over his right shoulder. "Look Rachel, you're dad's are here."

'You're ok," he repeated. "It's just us."

Her cheeks were puffing in and out with the sharpness of her haggard breathing and her frightened gaze swept over her fathers before coming back to settle on Puck.

Her fathers stayed silent, knowing that in her panicked state it was best not to overwhelm her and insert themselves into the conversation, when she would work through her confusion quicker if she could focus on one thing or person at a time.

It took a few minutes but eventually her furrowed brow smoothed out and the tears stopped, their tracks drying on her flushed cheeks.

"Noah."

He didn't dare move. "Yeah baby, it's me."

"You're supposed to be at Finn's." Her words were barely audible.

"I was. I missed you so I came home." Puck replied simply, forcing himself to flash her a small smile. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

"You don't smell like you."

He sniffed himself discretely. "I showered over there and used Finn's bodywash." He explained slowly, not really getting it.

Wordlessly, she gingerly inched around him and got out of her bed. Giving her father's a wide berth also, she fled to her adjoining bathroom and all three men heard the lock click into place when the door slammed behind her.

"Fuck." Puck sprung up from his frozen position, reaching for his discarded shirt and yanking it roughly over his head. He spared a glance at Andy and James who were both staring worriedly at the door Rachel had disappeared behind.

"What do I do?" he asked them almost desperately.

They had no suggestions so Puck crossed to the door and knocked softly.

"Are you ok in there Rach?" The splintered bathroom door at his own house was weighing heavily on his mind. "Do you want to unlock the door for me babe?"

Both questions went unanswered and Puck gave the knob an experimental turn.

Yep. Definitely locked.

He hadn't realised James had joined him until he felt the shorter man's arm brush against his own as he too knocked hesitantly. 'Rachel? Honey? If you just need some time and want us to go away, that's understandable. But can you please just let us know you're ok in there. Can we get you anything?"

"I'm fine." Came the muffled response. "Just…please, go away."

Puck and James looked sideways at each other but made no attempt to move.

Rachel must have been listening out for their retreat, because after a minute her voice came through the door again, with a slight hysterical tinge to her tone. "Please. Leave me be, just for a while."

Andy walked over to his husband and Puck, tugging gently on both their arms. "Come on you two, you heard her. Let's go downstairs. I'll make some hot cocoa."

They reluctantly complied, Puck being the last of the three to file out, casting backward glances over his shoulder as he went.

Rachel heard the low rumble of masculine voices fade as the three most important men in her life went downstairs. She exhaled shakily, staring at herself in the vanity mirror and plucking a tissue from the box to dab at her streaming eyes. She'd been here before, hiding out in a bathroom as her emotions threatened to suffocate her.

She was at breaking point, the stress of trying to hold herself together proving too much for the vulnerable girl to handle and she knew she had to give up all the pretence.

She wasn't coping and Noah's presence, while a comforting and welcome distraction, was not her magical fix. Rachel had to work on healing herself and the way to do that was by talking to a professional, which she promised herself she would do tomorrow.

Rachel nodded at her reflection, pained to look at the pale figure staring back at her. She'd lost weight over the past few weeks and her already petite figure was no better for it. Her collarbone was even more pronounced and her cheeks had a sunken quality to them. It was easy to ignore how much of a train wreck you actually looked when you had Noah Puckerman gazing at you like you were the prettiest girl to cross his path, which she knew she wasn't, not by a long shot.

In a move that almost mimicked her exact actions on the night of her attack, she ran a face washer under warm water, rung out the excess moisture and then buried her face in the damp fabric. After a few moments, Rachel wiped over her face and let the washcloth fall back into the sink with a wet slap.

Better.

When she felt she had gained control over the tremors that were raking through her body, she cautiously unlocked the door, peering out to ensure she was still, in fact alone.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned off the bathroom light and buried herself back under her duvet. She hoped Noah remained downstairs until after she fell asleep because she knew then he would make no attempt to join her and risk a repeat of what had happened before.

She instantly felt ashamed by her transitory thoughts. It's not that she didn't want him to come to bed, because she actually ached for the security of his embrace. But if she was honest with herself, Rachel was still smarting from his decision to stay out with Finn rather than seek consolation from her. She didn't begrudge his need for space, Rachel had been in dire need of some herself lately, she simply couldn't shake the hurt feelings his recent actions had caused her. She was too sensitive, she knew.

Her prediction proved correct. Puck resigned himself to the guest room after he ventured to check in on her a half an hour later and found her once more asleep.

Apart from the night Rachel returned home at her father's request, it was the first time in 3 weeks they had willingly slept apart and they both keenly felt the absence of the other. As Puck lay there, he had to count the days since Matt's party twice as he was amazed at how much had changed in such a short amount of time.

Rachel and her emotional well being had become the focus of almost his whole existence and while the Puck of 6 months ago would have slushied himself repetitively for the offence and thrown pee balloons at his own car, he found the fact that he and Berry were so entwined now mostly…natural.

Scaring her tonight and most likely setting her recovery back a few steps, gnawed at him. Despite his earlier fatigue, he found himself wide awake and alert, his brain flitting from random thought to random thought.

Later when the sun was rising, casting an unearthly orange hue over the room, the sound of a floorboard creaking had him snap out of his daze. He turned his gritty gaze to Rachel, who was standing unsurely at the foot of the bed, her hair wild and loose.

"Good morning." She whispered nervously, fidgeting with the hem of her nightshirt.

"Morning." He returned generally. They stared at each other until Rachel took a hesitant step towards him. Just a single step, then she halted. "May I?" she gestured in his direction, asking permission to join him and he nodded, lifting up the corner of his blanket.

She slid under and rolled onto her side, smiling gently as he shifted to mirror her position. "Hey" he said simply and her smile widened.

"Hey back."

He pillowed his head on the curve of his crooked elbow while she slid her hands under the cheek resting on her pillow.

They were content to just contemplate each other as the sunlight streamed warmly into the window and her nearness relaxed him so much that Puck felt his eyelids beginning to droop, just as Rachel spoke. "Do you realize most of our deep and meaningful conversations occur when we're lying in one of our beds?"

Puck fought the yawn and stretched his neck a little to wake him up. "That's what we're about to have? A D & M?"

She bit her lip, "You don't want to talk?" She questioned quietly, her warm brown eyes watching his face carefully.

"What guy _wants_ to talk?" he asked her with an eyeroll and a quirk of his lips.

'You have a point." She admitted, her gaze shifting to his jaw. If she looked carefully, she could still see the faintest discoloration on his skin, of bruises that had almost completely healed.

"What are we discussing this time?"

"So you _do_ want to talk?" Rachel's gaze returned to his and he chuckled.

"Like I said Berry, what guy willingly _wants_ to broach an open discussion on his feelings." He sneered the word a little, but his smile took the sting out of it. "You obviously have something to say, so let's hear it. I'll probably, more than likely say something back. So ok, let's _talk_."

She gave him a look that told him she didn't appreciate his sarcasm before quickly letting it go.

"I'm sorry for the way I reacted earlier." She offerred sincerely. "And for brandishing my pillow as a weapon."

He slid his hand over her hip and with a flat palm on her lower back, Puck drew her closer, his fingers remaining there to lightly caress her skin.

"Rach, you woke up thinking there was a strange man in your bed. I get it. You've got nothing to be sorry for. Besides, it takes more than a pillow to knock this skull around."

"Still. I'm sorry for shutting you out afterwards." He just nodded, inching closer to her so he could place a lingering kiss on her lips, before he pulled back resting his head on her pillow.

"How are you?"

"Me?" He was confused by her question. "I'm fine." Her expression told him she wasn't buying it.

"You're not fine, Noah. You're obviously upset about your hearing and what the lawyer said; otherwise you wouldn't have acted as you did last night." Rachel's tone was matter of fact and though at one time he would have been annoyed by her assumption that she knew exactly what he was thinking or feeling, her concern was genuine, making it hard to be irritated with her.

"Well if you know how I feel, why did you ask?" He asked logically knowing it was possible he would rile her up. Berry was hot when she was pissed.

"No-ah." She whined, not wanting him to make this difficult.

"Ber-ry." He drawled mockingly, laughing lightly when she pouted.

"Why didn't you come home?" she asked gently. "How come you won't talk to me about it? You know you can tell me anything."

Shit, she wasn't about to ream him out, she was _hurt_.

"I don't want you to worry about me babe." Puck confessed. "I needed a few hours to freak out by myself before I could get it together and come back."

"That's sweet of you Noah, to be concerned about me but I _am_ worried. Refusing to tell me how you feel isn't going to change that. In fact, it makes things worse." He felt properly chastised.

"Maybe, but I wont weigh you down with my problems when you've got so many of your own to deal with." He countered stubbornly.

Rachel sighed. "You know, I'm getting tired of people walking around me on eggshells. I am perfectly capable of focusing on others. In fact, I'd prefer it."

She muttered that last part, but he heard it.

"Rach, you need to see a counsellor." Puck said seriously.

"I know, I'll go this afternoon."

He couldn't quite hide his look of disbelief. 'No offence babe, but you've been saying that all week. You can't keep putting it off."

She bristled at his comment. "I said I'll go Noah, don't pressure me."

"_Sorry_." His fingers moved soothingly on her hip and she bit her lip.

"Don't apologize Noah. I will go." Rachel promised, her tone softer. "After last night…I realize I had fooled myself into thinking I was coping when clearly I'm not. But I meant what I said; I want to be there for you too. Your hearing is tomorrow and I have no doubt the process is quite stressful. Your problems are no burden."

He found himself (and not for the first time) enchanted by her chocolate gaze. Before her, he'd always considered brown eyes kind of boring, even when he'd been dating Santana. But then he supposed he'd been obsessed with Quinn throughout the duration of his 'relationship' with the Latina, if you could call it one, and objectively Quinn's own green orbs were more spectacular that Santana's almost-black ones.

Rachel's though, were windows clear into her soul. Every thought, every ephemeral emotion could be easily read, pooled expressively in her dark, captivating depths. It was during the week they had dated that those eyes had told him that she was more than just Rachel 'Crazy' Berry, straight A student and resident musically obsessed, gleek freak.

He'd been able to see how the taunts and slushie facials had affected her, and how deep her loneliness had ran. For the most part Rachel had been ostracized and tormented by peers that supposed she was unflappable and assumed she thought she was better than the rest of them. Puck marvelled at their stupidity, and his own, for looking at this girl countless times, but not really _seeing_ her; Seeing that she was vulnerable, fragile and heartbreakingly beautiful.

He couldn't resist kissing her again, his lips moving slowly over hers as he savoured the sensation.

"So you're going to counselling today?" He cajoled when he pulled back and those eyes were gazing at him in warm contentment. Her smile didn't slip. 'Yes." She agreed confidently, giving him no reason to doubt her intent.

* * *

At a quarter after one that afternoon, a full 45 minutes later than when she was scheduled to finish her session, Puck stood leaning against his truck outside a depressing grey office building, where Rachel was seeing the counsellor recommended to her fathers.

He couldn't pretend he hadn't been anxiously standing in the same spot since the minute she had disappeared through the glass doors, determined to take the first step of her recovery and walk in by herself. Puck hadn't bothered to move his vehicle though he had been parked in the 1 hour spot for almost double that time, shooting menacing glares at the parking inspectors who looked as though they were working up the nerve to approach him. They never did.

Catching sight of the petite brunette as she slowly exited the building, Puck pushed off from the fender and after looking both ways for oncoming traffic, jogged across the quiet street to meet her at the opposite curb. He gathered her into his arms immediately, searching her face for signs of distress as she turned it upwards to look at him. Her eyes were rid rimmed but she managed a smile and all in all, she looked better than what he had been expecting.

"I'm alright." Rachel assured him before he had a chance to utter a word. "The first sessions always the hardest, rehashing the reason you're there in the first place, but I'm told it will get easier." She gave him a small smile and he relaxed marginally.

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. "You were in there a long time." Puck noted, tightening his arms around her shoulders when her own arms snaked around his waist.

"I know. I didn't like the first counsellor so I had to wait until another one was available, which was about half an hour. I'm sorry you had to wait. Did you not get my message?"

His head turned to glance at his truck, knowing his cellphone was sitting idly on his dash. He hadn't heard it beep, having been so focused on the building behind them.

"Nope, but it's cool. Why didn't you like the first counsellor though? Your Dad has been singing the dudes praises since he heard about him."

Rachel shrugged, her eyes downcast. "I can't explain it. I just felt like he was looking at me funny." She explained ineloquently. Puck felt his own gaze narrow as he tensed. "What do you mean he looked at you funny?" He demanded, trying to keep calm but nonetheless letting her go as he made to stride straight into the building.

"Noah, wait!" she grabbed his arm with surprising force. "I said it _felt_ that way. He wasn't, I'm sure. I thought I'd be more comfortable talking with a woman about my ordeal and I was right. Her name's Jackie and I really like her. I think she'll help." Rachel was talking quickly, trying to get the subject back to how well her session went so that Noah wouldn't ark up and punch yet another person because of her, especially when it was unwarranted.

His jaw was working furiously as he half listened to her prattle on about what she'd shared and what Jackie had said in response. "Just so we're clear, I'm not going up there to rearrange the perverts face?" Puck interrupted, his eyes intense.

"No, you're not." Rachel confirmed firmly. "He's not a pervert."

Puck scoffed as if he didn't believe her, sliding his arm around her shoulders as they crossed back to his truck. "Let's head home then and you can start telling me again how your session went. This time, I'll listen." He proposed as he unlocked the passenger side door and helped her up into the seat.

"Actually, we need to stop by Finn's." Rachel told him whipping out her blackberry and typing a lightening fast message to let their friend know they were on their way. Puck paused, his hand on the door frame. "What for?"

"Mike & Matt are there with some suit pants and jackets. Your mother told me you don't have anything presentable to wear to your hearing tomorrow and we figured between the three of them, they'd have something you fit into."

"You're shitting me." He guessed wryly, straightening. "Good one."

"I assure you," she said crisply, 'I shit you not."

Rachel counted to three silently in her head.

1…2….3....wait for it:

"There's no fucking way I'm wearing a suit!" he exclaimed, slamming her door with more force than necessary and stalking around the hood. She quickly leant over to pop the lock for him and he pulled himself behind the wheel with a scowl.

"Noah, you've worn suits before. I've seen you."

"Yeah for like weddings and shit and only because my Mom made me. And ok, for Acafella's too." He conceded. "But that was one time and that was because I knew I looked sinfully sexy in that tux and I was in it purely for the cougars."

She shot him a disgusted look and turned her attention back to her phone.

"Well your Mom is 'making you' this time too. Don't think I won't call her and tell her you're refusing to cooperate, because I'll do it." She threatened easily and he knew she would.

"Way harsh babe." He said sulkily, turning into Finn's street. When they coasted to a stop behind Matt's beaten up Sunfire, Puck cursed.

Rachel threw him another look and asked impatiently, "What is it now?"

Puck cocked his thumb in the direction of the black Navigator parked behind Finns Mom's station wagon. "You invited Kurt? There's no fucking way I'm putting on a runway show for you and Beyonce."

She huffed and unclipped her seatbelt. As they both got out of the vehicle and headed up the path, Rachel slapped his arm. "Honestly Noah, you best make an effort and try to play nice. Kurt is here to make sure you look your best tomorrow. First impressions count you know and we need to ensure the Judge sees you as a moral, upstanding citizen. To do that, we have to use every tool at our disposal and could do with all the help we can get."

He feigned a hurt look. "Gee thanks Berry. Why can't we just grab the shit and I'll figure it out once we're back at your place?"

Rachel walked up the steps first. 'Because Kurt doesn't trust me to dress myself, let alone anyone else." She said irritably. "He's just come from my house where he's laid my outfit for tomorrow out on the bed for me, as if I was 5 years old."

Finn opened the door before they knocked, grinning down at them from his considerable height. "I thought that was the two of you I could hear bickering. Come on in, the guys are in the lounge."

Mike and Matt were seated on the couch watching in fascination as Kurt moved like a whirlwind on the other side of the room, picking up shirts and ties and flinging them away in disgust. His rejection pile was already 2 foot high and Puck gaped at the sheer number of suits hanging over the stair railing and door frames.

"Where the hell did all these come from?"

Matt gestured to Mike and himself. "We have 5 brothers between us." He reminded his friend. "And Rach asked us to bring whatever we thought might fit."

Rachel beamed at them and exchanged greetings while Puck glared, backing away as Kurt skipped over and grabbed his arm. "Come on Mr Broody. It's not that bad. I've already eliminated 60% of the offerings on ghastliness alone."

He pressed 3 suits on him. "Try these on first so I can get an idea of pant length and shoulder width and we'll go from there."

Puck looked beseechingly back at Rachel who was seating herself in an arm chair and just made a 'go on then' motion with her hands. The mohawked teen sighed.

"Fine." He muttered and Mike made a whipping sound, "Shut your fucking mouth Chang." He growled, as he snatched the coat hangers from Kurt and stalked into the adjoining Dining room, closing the bi-fold doors behind him so the Soprano couldn't peek at him changing.

Kurt lied, it was that bad.

Puck was still trying on pants and jackets an hour later when the three other jocks had long gone upstairs to play video games, leaving him alone with Rachel and Kurt.

Kurt was fingering the lapel of a beige suit he had vetoed 20 minutes before hand. 'I know I said no to double breasted, but think how handsome he'd look with a white ascot-"

"ENOUGH!" Puck shouted. Standing there bare footed, with his hands on his hips.

"I already told you I'm not wearing something fruity. The black or the grey is fine, just pick one already."

Rachel nodded quickly, knowing he'd reached the end of his tether. "Ok, well I think you look dashing in the grey, is that fine with you Kurt?" The smaller boy opened his mouth to object and Rachel elbowed him sharply.

"Ouchies." The Fashionista complained, rubbing his side. 'Fine. Grey it is, with the black shirt and no tie."

Puck nodded in satisfaction and turned to go back to his make shift dressing room, when Kurt broached the subject of his hair.

"Now, about the Mohawk-"

Puck spun back around, the vein in his forehead throbbing and Rachel yelped pushing Kurt behind her as if to protect him from the wrath of Puckerman.

"No, no. The hair's fine." She babbled with forced cheer. "Nothing wrong with the cut, everyone loves a Mohawk."

He continued to stare suspiciously at them when Kurt stepped around Rachel's body and piped up, obviously not sensing that Puck was precariously close to inflicting bodily harm.

'Everyone does not 'love a Mohawk'." Kurt corrected haughtily. "While I admit if anyone can rock that look it's Puck, however that doesn't mean he ought to. I thought the purpose of this exercise was to make him look less like a hooligan and-" When Rachel's frantic throat slashing motions failed to silence him she slapped a hand over his mouth to silence the stream of words.

"Noah. Why don't you get changed and say goodbye to Finn and the boys. I'll walk Kurt to his car." Both her voice and expression was strained and he nodded slowly, before heading back to the dining room.

He heard Rachel harshly berating her friend as she escorted him out of the house and Puck couldn't help but grin, despite his annoyance. Quickly changing back into his street clothes, Puck picked up the discarded suit pieces and took them back into the living room, carelessly tossing them over the back of the couch and heading upstairs to see his boys.

The three of them were not playing video games at all, he discovered as he pushed open the bedroom door. Instead, thet were sprawled around the room talking quietly and writing on legal pads. Conversation halted at Puck's appearance and he had the distinct impression that they had been discussing him.

"Hey guys. What you talking about?"

"Fantasy Football." Matt and Mike answered in unison as Finn said "Conan O'Brien" a second behind them. The two jocks looked at the Quarterback in exasperation and Finn's smile dropped. "Oh, I mean Fantasy football." He corrected sheepishly, holding his pad protectively close to his chest.

Puck leant against the doorframe, his eyebrow raised. 'Right." He stated, his tone conveying the fact he thought they were all morons. "Whatever. Listen me and Berry are gonna jet. Places to go, people to see."

Finn tucked his pad under the pillow carefully and stood, ushering him out of the room as the other two called out goodbyes. "Ok man, I'll walk you out."

Yep they were definitely hiding something.

As Puck started down the hall with Finn in tow, he once more caught sight of himself in the gigantic mirror Mrs Hudson had hung in the hallway. Puck stopped in his tracks causing Finn to bump into him. 'What, dude?" Finn asked as Pucks eyes travelled over his reflection. He didn't realize the decision had been made until he found himself turning to the taller boy. "Do you still have those hair clippers I used here a while back?"

Finn thought for a minute. "Yeah I think they're in the cupboard under the bathroom sink, why do you want to borrow them?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, if I can."

"Sure." Finn backtracked to the bathroom and retrieved the black leather case, handed it off to Puck as they continued down the stairs. Puck felt the weight of the case's contents in his hand and he felt himself grow irrationally angry.

Rachel hand already hung the suits back up and was folding the shirts Kurt had carelessly tossed everywhere, when they joined her in the living room.

'Ok Berry, we're out. Let's go." Puck said shortly, his tone surprising both his best friend and sort-of girlfriend.

Rachel looked at Finn who shrugged his shoulders. "Just a minute Noah, I just have to finish picking up these clothes."

Puck made a sound of impatience. "Just grab the suit I'm wearing and leave the rest."

She wondered at the unbridled irritation in his tone and when he saw her pick up his suit bag and stand there, her expression wary as she waited for his next move, he felt like an ass. "I'm sorry Rach. Let's just go, please?"

Rachel walked slowly towards him, accepting his outstretched hand and saying a quiet goodbye to Finn who was looking at them with concern.

Puck muttered his own farewell and led her out to his truck. He tossed the leather case carelessly on the floor and took the suit from her, hanging it on the hook behind the seats, before turning back to her. With a hand on her elbow, he once again helped her into the cab of the truck and when she was seated, staring straight ahead through the windshield he paused and leant forward, pressing his lips to her cheek.

"I'm a jerk." He stated self-deprecatingly and she felt the smile tug on her lips.

Reaching out to fist his shirt and bring him closer, she touched her mouth fleetingly to his. "You are." She agreed against his lips and he chuckled, kissing her back.

They were quiet on the way home, their fingers entwined and resting on Puck's thigh as he drove one handed. When they were parked in her driveway, she went to withdraw her hand from grasp to slip out of the vehicle, but he refused to let her go. She looked over at him questioningly. "Noah?"

He took a deep breath. "Can you help me with something?"

Her face cleared, "Of course."

It wasn't until they were upstairs and she watched him drag her desk chair into her bathroom juggling a small leather case in his hands, did she realize what he was alluding too.

Puck unzipped the case, taking the hair clippers and laying them out on a towel on the vanity. He turned his head towards her and saw her face pale, her eyes widening comically. "You can't be serious." She whispered in shock.

He sat down in the chair and tried (failed) to smirk. "Bring it."

Rachel stepped forward tentatively and ran her hand over the thick stripe of hair on his head. "All of it?" She clarified in disbelief and he nodded.

"Shave it off."

'Noah, I-" she shook her head, her other hand balling into a fist and resting against her breast. "I don't think I can do this."

"Please Rach, do this for me." He pleaded, his tone desperate now as his eyes met hers in the mirror.

When he looked at her like that, she had no choice but to relent. Nevertheless, she attempted to reason with him. "I've never done this before. You might end up with little bald patches all over your head. Don't you think we'd be better off taking you to a hairdresser? There a few places downtown we can just walk into, without an appointment."

He'd been shaking his head since she opened her mouth.

It had to be Rachel. She had to be the one to retire the Mohawk.

He thought it was all like, symbolic and shit. Out with the old, in with the new; Put Puck out to pasture and let Noah shine.

She picked up the clippers nervously, biting her lip as her gaze roamed over his head formulating a plan of attack. She asked him if he was ready and he closed his eyes tightly, unable to watch. "I think so. Just do it."

His fingers were gripping tightly to the arm rests of the chair, his knuckles white. Rachel rubbed a tender farewell over his beloved 'hawk and kissed the top of his head. After selecting the appropriate setting, she turned the clippers on.

Puck jumped when he heard the buzzing of the device and she rested a firm hand on his shoulder. "For the love of Hashem Noah, don't move."

He clenched his jaw and breathed through his nose as he felt the clippers move over his head, the vibration tickling his scalp.

It seemed to take an excruciatingly long time for her to finish the task.

When it seemed like she was done, Puck opened his eyes, seeking out her reflection in the mirror and avoiding his own.

She was inspecting her handiwork, her expression impassive.

"Well?" He asked, his voice sounded odd even to his own ears. She smiled and smoothed her hand over his perfectly shaped skull. She giggled lightly. "The texture tickles."

He groaned. "Rach…."

She walked around to face him, setting the clippers down and leaning her hip against the sink. She cupped his chin and kissed his nose. "It looks good." She promised and he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Really?" He asked meekly and she hid her smile at his obvious insecurity.

"Take a look." She invited, gesturing towards the mirror.

His eyes couldn't seem to stray from her. "I can't" Puck admitted slowly and she couldn't contain her smile any longer.

She squeezed his shoulder and returned to her position behind him. She bent over slightly and wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her chin on top of his head.

'Take a look." She repeated and watched patiently as his gaze shifted and he stared at himself in the mirror.

"Fuck me." He swore huskily, turning his head slightly as Rachel stepped back so he could get a better view. She ran into her room and came back with the mirror that had been suspended in her locker all school year. She held it up so he could look at the back of his head, as the smaller mirror reflected the image in the bigger bathroom one.

His large hand brushed over his scalp, feeling the evenness of the short hair against his palm. "I've had that Mohawk for 4 years. This is so weird."

She laughed and he felt his lips turn up at the corners.

"You like?" Rachel asked shyly and he shrugged honestly.

"I'm not sure. You did a great job, but I don't know how I feel about it."

He was subdued now, his lips pursed thoughtfully as he turned his head this way and that to ensure he was taking in every angle.

She could tell he might be on the verge of an identity crisis and she slid onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're not defined by your haircut Noah, you're more than just a sexy Mohawk."

He groaned loudly. "Now you want to admit the 'hawk was hot? Kill me now Berry, is it too late to glue it back on?"

She laughed again. 'You don't need to."

'No?"

"No." Rachel confirmed, smiling brilliantly. "You're still totally badass."

And he grinned. He so was.

* * *

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTE 2: If you read half as much fanfic as I do, you'll probably be already aware of the Support Stacie Auctions that are taking place this weekend March 26th-29th.

If not, I've copied a bit of the story to share with you (without permission I might add, so I hope the moderators of the webpage don't mind!):

_In March 2007, Stacie Holeman, known as __truelovepooh__ in fandom and on LJ, was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Because she was within the 90-day enrollment period of her new medical insurance, Stacie has been forced to join the ranks of millions of uninsured Americans._**_Support Stacie_**_ to continually raising money for Pooh both through direct donations via paypal or by holding fundraisers such as the Author Auctions. _

Three years and several surgeries later, Stacie has over $400,000 in accumulated medical bills and is struggling to continue treatment. Basic elements of her cancer protocol, such as radiation treatments, medication, and hospitalization, are either limited or completely unavailable to her without up-front cash payment. The fight for her life is literally dependent upon her ability to pay cash for medical care.

Friends of Stacie, or Pooh, as she is known to friends, have formed the volunteer group **_Support Stacie._**

Some of our favourite Puckleberry authors are taking part, volunteering their time and creative juices to write lucky winners their very own fics, including (but not limited too): Going Vintage, Diva Divine, Sapphire EJ, Uninspired Writer, SMC_27....and the list goes on!

Please go to the website www supportstacie com and click on the link to the Author Auctions to read more, register and bid! I'm cracking open my margarita money jar to take part, determined to win me a fic that I can lord over everyone else for having read first Please, please, please take a look- having had family and friends go through similar situations it's a cause very close to my heart! My thoughts and prayers go to Stacie, her family & friends and I hope this weekend is a success.

xoxox ~Kelly


	19. Chapter 18

_**AN: So sorry for the delay. Don't you hate it when real life interferes with fiction? Thanks to all those who took part in the Support Stacie Auction and particularly stirlingmom, gjocks23 and gleek0511 who bid on me It was so much fun and I was so happy to be able to participate both as an author and a crazy fangirl- bidding was quite intense over at the Going Vintage thread with 2looney and I! Gleek0511 was the (lucky?) winner of a story written by yours truly and the story ideas floating in from her are circling endlessly around my brain like vultures on a dead carcass. I can't wait for you guys to read what ultimately comes out of it!**_

_**But I digress….. enjoy. I know parts of it are choppy, but I need to push on and I promise what comes next will more than make up for the rough parts in this update!**_

**Love you guys!**

**Yes I love exclamation points! Sue me….**

* * *

"Rachel!" her daddy called out from downstairs. "It's a quarter after 8 and we're all waiting on you."

Rachel slipped her yellow headband into place and gave herself a complete once over in the full length mirror. Smoothing down the white cotton of her simple sundress, she gave herself an approving nod and slipped her feet into pale yellow ballet flats before rushing down the stairs. Her daddy was standing by the door, ready to lock up when she flew past him, stopping in her tracks by the porch steps as she spied Noah leaning nonchalantly against the side of her fathers Lincoln, talking to her dad.

Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze travelled over his person, admiring the way the borrowed suit hung on his muscular frame. Underneath the grey suit, he had on a collared black dress shirt, unbuttoned at the throat where a pair of aviator sunglasses hung. His thumbs were threaded loosely in his belt loops and his newly shaved head was cocked to the side as he listened intently to what her dad was saying. Rachel thought to herself as she stared at him in ardent fascination, that he could have just walked off the pages of a GQ magazine.

Puck must have felt her eyes on him because suddenly he turned his head to grin at her, almost as if he knew she had been gawking at him like some love struck teenager, which she admitted quite readily she supposed she was.

"Ready pumpkin?" Andy called to her and Rachel nodded, stepping from the porch onto the driveway and over to the vehicle. Her dad was walking around the car to the driver's side and as she passed, he chuckled and muttered quietly so only she could hear, "You might want to wipe the drool from your chin sweetheart."

Instinctively Rachel wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and found nothing. She huffed as her Dad let out a bark of laughter and flounced over to where Noah was holding the back door open for her. "Looking good babe." He complimented, stealing a quick kiss as she brushed against him. She ran her fingers over his chest and smiled up at him. "You too Noah, you look quite handsome."

"And badass?" Puck teased lightly and she shook her head.

"Sexy as hell." She corrected impishly, touching her lips to his once more before sliding gracefully into her seat.

His laughter rang out and she smiled as he shut the door carefully after her, striding around the rear of the vehicle to get in on the other side.

When they were on the road, James turned from the front passenger seat and handed Puck a leaflet.

"Just give that a quick read through Noah. It's an overview of the court proceedings and details the appropriate way to address the Judge, that kind of thing."

Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted over to the middle of the backseat. Puck angled the page so she could read at the same time and she rested her hand on his thigh.

"Pretty standard." Puck commented as his eyes skimmed the text. "Yes Your Honour, no Your Honour yadda, yadda, yadda."

"Hmm." Rachel agreed, draping her other hand over his forearm and leaning into his shoulder. She heard him exhale heavily and she looked up worriedly, squeezing his arm gently. "Nervous?"

"A little." He admitted honestly, avoiding her eyes. She kissed his jaw and the hand on his arm slid down to entwine with his fingers.

"It's going to be fine Noah, I know it." Rachel told him with conviction and he finally looked at her.

She could see the uncertainty in his hazel gaze and she couldn't resist softly kissing him again. She was rewarded with a small smile before he turned his head to the window and stared absently at the passing scenery as his mind worked overtime. Rachel watched his profile, worrying her lip between her teeth. After she had shaved off his mohawk, Noah had taken to the den downstairs with his guitar in hand. She had left him alone to his playing; knowing that having some time to himself to strum randomly at the strings would calm his frazzled state far more effectively that another attempted conversation about his feelings.

The lawyer, Doug Adams and the legal aid were waiting by the steps of the courthouse with Puck's mother as they arrived. Mrs Puckerman kissed Rachel's cheek then turned to fuss over her son and his Mohawk free head. Her fathers chimed in on the teasing, good naturally ribbing Puck about the tears they claimed were streaming down his cheeks as he'd swept up the shorn hair to dispose of and Rachel was glad that the groups attention was diverted, allowing her to fix Doug with a look of determination.

"So you're the legal representation I presume." she stated, arching her brow as she looked over the man, inspecting him from the tip of his silver tinged hair to the scuffs on his worn black shoes.

"Yes and you must be Rachel." Doug returned wryly holding out his hand for Rachel to shake, which she did, firmly. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you." She acknowledge stiffly with a nod of her head. Doug shifted his briefcase to his other hand and regarded the young woman thoughtfully as she seemed to struggle with containing a statement she apparently was bursting to make. He saw the covert glance she gave Puck, who was still engrossed in conversation with the other adults, and took pity on her and her obvious concern.

"Try not to worry Rachel. We're well prepared for today's hearing and I have the utmost confidence the Judge will rule in Noah's favour." He told her in what he hoped was a soothing manner. Her eyes flashed at him and Doug had the strangest feeling that he had just ignited the girl's ire.

"Oh you do?" She inquired in faux sweetness. "Because what you said just now, is in direct contrast to what you told Noah and our parents the other day. What ever happened to that speech? The one that implied he could be facing time in a juvenile detention centre, maybe even jail if the Judge decides to try him as an adult. Excuse me for having so little faith in your defence skills when you can't seem to even commit to your own point of view."

"Babe." The shrillness of her voice drew Puck to her side and he reached out to touch her arm soothingly as he looked between Rachel and his lawyer. Her protectiveness was endearing, but he knew her concern manifested easily into anger and he didn't want her to work herself into a tantrum when they were due inside in a little over 15 minutes.

Doug waved Puck's intervention away, smiling in a manner that infuriated Rachel and she had to clamp down on the irrational urge to kick him in the skins. "No that's ok Noah. I admit I was concerned about how the Judge might perceive you after reading your school records but I have a little secret weapon in here that I think will make all the difference." Doug patted his briefcase smugly and everyone blinked at him in confusion.

Before any of them could question the lawyer, they were interrupted by shouts and exclamations as the Gleeks appeared out of nowhere and descended noisily upon the group, taking turns to hug Puck and marvel over his haircut.

"What are you all doing here?" Puck managed to make himself heard over the ruckus and his spirited friends amazingly fell silent.

Surprisingly it was Mike who spoke for the group, "Dude, where else would we be?"

The others were nodding in agreement and while the statement was neither revealing nor particularly profound, Puck felt it seemed to convey all that junk about team unity that Mr Shue was always trying to impress upon them and damned if he didn't feel his chest constrict.

The teacher is question was there also, with Ms Pillsbury at his side. Mr Shue shook his hand and then pulled him into a one armed hug. "It's going to be fine Puck, you'll see."

Puck nodded, unconvinced. 'Thanks Mr Shuester." The Glee Director's presence surprised him. Finn had always been the clear favourite and Puck had always felt that the teacher merely tolerated his existence but didn't really think much of him- especially after news of Babygate broke out. The fact that Mr Shuester was there offering his support, completely floored him.

Andy consulted his watch and announced it was time to go in, shepherded the group up the steps and in the direction of the courtroom. Puck's hearing was the first of the day so the room was practically empty as they all entered. he kissed Rachel softly before leaving her to sit with her fathers, his mother-whose hand he squeezed briefly, and the rest of the gleeks in the benches behind where he sat with Doug and his colleague.

Puck knew he should be paying attention to the last minute warnings and reminders bbeing reiterated for him, but he couldn't seem to focus on the words. He stared blankly at the front of the room, his eyes travelling over the wooden bench where the Judge was to sit, presiding over his case and passing judgement on his fate.

His palms were starting to sweat as the situation became more real and he wiped them discretely on his pant leg, feeling the weight of 15 intense gazes on the back of his head. Now that they were seated and quiet, the tension was palpable. No one knew what to expect, both from the proceedings and from the sentence that Doug had told them would probably not be decided today. This was a preliminary hearing to go over the charges and pretty much deconstruct his character. The Judge would then have to decide whether the allegations were serious enough to go to trial.

The court clerk asked them all to rise and introduced Judge Janet Alderson to the courtroom.

Janet Alderson.

Puck stood up, along with the other occupants of the room, wondering why that name bothered him. It wasn't until he saw the Judge's profile as she mounted the few steps to her chair, her silky blonde hair bouncing against black robed shoulders, did he feel his stomach sink.

Puck had known for a while now that his past exploits were going to catch up with him one day, he just never thought it would be in the Lima County Courtroom where his future was dependant on a woman whom he'd once left tied to her bed, stark naked, sexually frustrated and cursing his name. His encounter with Janet Alderson was the one and only time he'd been completely freaked out during sex and it had ended with him pulling out (unable to finish the deed) and he and his softening cock hightailing it out of there as fast as his legs would carry him.

He was a fucking stud, the fact was indisputable and he was _always_ up for a bit of kinky experimentation with the hotter cougars in town. But that nut job liked to be strangled as she was fucked-like strangled to the point of passing out and that, well…that was just whacked. He hadn't cleaned her particular pool since.

Puck knew he should say something to Doug about his previous encounter with the Judge but the court was called into session and the opportunity was lost. He had no choice but to take his seat and focus on taking shallow breaths as his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. His gaze was fixed on her, waiting for the inevitable moment when she would lock gazes with him.

To her credit, the slight widening of her eyes was barely discernable and she shuffled the papers in front of her as the clerk formally introduced the case and detailed the charges. It was when Alex Langenthol's name came up as the plaintiff that Puck noticed that the other boy was not there and in fact, that side of the courtroom was vacant save from Langenthol's lawyer and legal aid. What the fuck was that about?

Doug murmured quietly that Alex's absence would work in there favour and though that was good news, Puck couldn't help but be pissed. The dude lays charges on him and doesn't even bother to fucking show? The case should be thrown out, just for that.

He settled in his seat, stewing, as the lawyers on both sides made opening statements. It was pretty boring Puck thought, though he was somewhat bemused by the back and forth exchange between the legal representatives as they directed snarky comments at each other. He allowed himself to tune out as the sparring dragged on, letting his thoughts wander to a more interesting place; like Rachel's living room a few days before when she'd allowed him to press her into the sofa cushions below him for a few fucking awesome minutes...

It was Lagenthol's smarmy Lawyer throwing out terms like 'delinquent', 'bully' and 'moral fibre' that dragged Puck back in from his daydreams.

"The fact of the matter is that Mr Puckeman's assault on Mr Lagenthol is just the latest in a long line of unprovoked attacks on his peers. Judge, the school records being made available to you illustrate clearly that Mr Puckerman has a problem containing his explosive aggression. His bullying is widespread and creative ranging from throwing slushie drinks over fellow students to stringing them up to flag poles by their underwear."

That had been Jacob Ben Israel in the 8th grade.

"Mr Adams' client needs be held accountable for his actions now, while there's hope for him to reform and be rehabilitated; before his rage accelerates and his next victim becomes nothing more than a statistic on the news."

Doug jumped to his feet and protested fiercely. "That remark is completely out of line

We're not talking about a supposed psychopath that kills puppies for fun in his spare time, We're talking about a 17 year old kid that was reacting to the news that his girlfriend was raped by your client."

'OBJECTION! That allegation has yet to be proven and as the defence is well aware, this case is about Mr Puckerman and the charges against _him_, not my client."

Doug waved off the comment. "I withdraw my comment." He said with a smirk, completely unrepentant. Puck had to hide his own grin at the underhandness on display. When they had first discussed his case the week before, Doug had told him Langenthol's attack of Rachel was something that would undoubtedly be brought up, which it had been in the initial opening statements, but that for the most part it had no bearing on the case. Doug had assured Puck that he intended to bring it up though as much as he could, in order to undermine Langenthol's credibility and reinforce the idea that Puck's reaction, if not appropriate, was at least understandable.

"We are not denying that Mr Puckerman has a less than perfect record, in fact I believe my client is rather forthcoming and frank about his past behaviour. What needs to be taken into account is that the Noah Puckerman that sits in this courtroom today is not the same student that's represented in those documents."

"If I could Judge, I'd like to bring to your attention the character references I have included in the documentation from Mr Puckerman's guidance counsellor. As you can see, in addition to the testimonials provided by teachers and coaches, I have included references from several of Mr Puckerman's fellow Glee club members."

The Judge rifled through the paperwork again and paused, looking up at Doug.

"Mr Adams, I requested copies of Mr Puckerman's transcripts and recommendations from his teachers. I hardly think that character references from your client's peers are appropriate. Obviously their opinion's would be anything but objective."

Doug leant his palms on the desk in front of him and leant forward slightly. "Actually Judge, you are mistaken. The character references from Mr Puckerman's peers are exactly that, objective."

"Prior to Mr Puckerman's involvement with the Glee Club this academic year, several of those members were regular targets of my client's bullying and physical assaults. Yet those same kids are effusive in their claims that their former tormentor has been successful in turning his life around and is committed to becoming a better person."

"Honestly Judge, given their turbulent relationship with Mr Puckerman I think their opinions actually hold a great deal of merit, don't you? I feel they would be far more revealing than the dated documents you have there that detail the exploits of a boy who has taken great strides in distancing himself from the type of behaviour described in them."

The Langenthol attorney looked apocalyptic as Judge Alderson nodded her head slowly.

"This is outrageous! You can't seriously allow a bunch of teenagers to influence your ruling Judge." He sputtered angrily.

Judge Alderson took off her delicate reading glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she collected her thoughts.

"Mr Jackson," She addressed Langenthol's lawyer. "I realize how unorthodox this may seem, but may I remind you that this is my courtroom and I find myself reluctantly agreeing with Mr Adams' assessment. As much as you and your client would like to have me base my decision solely on the records provided by the school, I cannot ignore the fact that Mr Puckerman's altercation with Mr Langenthol is the only blemish on an otherwise trouble free last semester."

"If the members of the Glee Club were indeed targets of Mr Puckerman's bullying, then I for one am curious to see what light they can shed on his supposed 'transformation'. Given the charges that face your client Mr Jackson, I sense that Mr Puckerman's reaction was not completely unwarranted and I don't believe this case needs to go any further than my courtroom."

As Puck felt his lips tug into a smirk the Judge turned her attention to him and levelled a frown in his direction.

"However, having said that, I am wary of your past history Mr Puckerman. I'm not convinced you understand that violence is never the answer and like Mr Jackson, I am a firm believer in reform and rehabilitation."

"This court will reconvene at 1 o'clock when I've had a chance to read over the statements provided. At that time, I will be prepared to hand down my sentence." The Judge rapped once on her wooden mallet and the clerk asked the courtroom to be upstanding as she retired to her chambers.

Puck let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned slowly to his lawyer. "How's it looking Doug? Should I get fitted for metal bracelets?" He found himself asking woodenly, the Judge's parting comments weighing heavily upon him and any shred of good humour having long deserted him.

Doug smiled over his shoulder before answering, just as Puck felt two slim arms slide around his waist. "Honestly, that couldn't have gone any better. I have a good feeling about the outcome."

Puck nodded half-heartedly, for some reason not really buying it and turned around to find Rachel looking up at him. "How are you doing?" She asked him softly and his lips parted to answer, but he had nothing. Concern shadowed her gaze and she tightened her hold around his middle, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him lightly.

As her warm breath caressed his cheek, he felt his eyes begin to sting with the onset of unexpected tears and he looked away quickly to conceal his emotions. Evidently she caught the tail end of his expression and she stroked his jaw tenderly. "Oh Noah."

His arms came around her quickly and he buried his face in her hair as he tried vainly to compose himself. He felt like the biggest pussy on the planet and couldn't even pinpoint the reason for his sudden meltdown. He supposed it was a combination of stressors; from his worry for Rachel to the possibility of him being sentenced to juvie, leaving his mother and sister to fend for themselves. The heavy weight of responsibility he felt for these women was threatening to drown him and he searched blindly for an anchor that would prevent him from falling apart.

He didn't need to look any further than Rachel and her doe-like brown eyes because when his own gaze came back to rest on her, the ache that had been coiling tightly around his heart just seemed to ease.

Puck heard the low murmur of voices as his friends and the adults spoke quietly to each other and he could feel their eyes fixed upon the two of them, but couldn't bring himself to look back at any of them, keeping his own gaze determinedly fixed on Rachel. She stepped out of his embrace and tugged gently on his hand. "Noah, you look positively green around the gills. Some fresh air would do you the world of good, would you care to take a walk with me?"

He nodded wordlessly, still not trusting himself to speak and he kept his head down as she led him past his assembled support group and out of the courtroom. Rachel felt his grip tighten on her hand as they made it out into the hall and she picked up her pace, weaving him in and around the people blocking their path until they were outside.

Puck took a deep lungful of fresh air and kept walking, this time dragging Rachel behind him as his quick strides led them across the street to a small grassy patch of park where he dropped her hand and sank to the ground, leaning up against a large oak tree.

Rachel stood by unnecessarily as he closed his eyes and let his head rest back against the tree trunk with a dull thud. After a moment, she knelt beside him taking care to hike her dress up past her knees so as not to get grass stains on the white material. She rested her hand on his knee and kept silent, waiting for him to say something.

After a while he covered her hand with his and without opening his eyes, hauled her gently to him, nestling her body between his legs. She let out a surprised squeak before settling against his chest and Puck rested his chin on the top of her head, sighing in contentment.

"It's going to be ok Noah. You know that right?"

He didn't actually and he was kind of pissed that everyone was making a point of telling him the same thing, when in actual fact none of them had any god damn clue what that psychotic Judge would decide.

It just seemed so ridiculous that he could be put into a detention centre or worse, jail, because of a cafeteria brawl. What sucked was the fact that all this was going down now when Puck had been working his ass off to be something other than the badass jock that had up until that point been his moniker. He had only just started expecting more from himself, attempting to be a better man for his family, his friends and for Rachel.

It was his screwy luck really. It just fucking figured.

"Noah?" Rachel prompted and Puck realised he hadn't responded to her previous statement.

"Rach, can we just not talk right now?" he pleaded, running his hand through her silky tresses. She hesitated, nodding against his chest.

"If that's what you want but-"

"Rach," he interrupted hoarsely, exhaling and pressing his nose into her hair. 'Please."

"Ok." She whispered, feeling his chest hitch under her cheek. "Tell me what I can do."

He shook his head and tightened his hold on her. "Nothing. I'm just going to hold you for a bit longer, k?"

Her soft giggle sounded in his ear and she rubbed his arm. "Ok."

His phone vibrated a while later, interrupting his zen like state with a text from Finn near to one o'clock and Puck reluctantly allowed Rachel to pull him up and brush the grass from his slacks. He made a half hearted dig about her wanting to touch his ass and he received a withering glance for his trouble. He slid his arm around her waist, keeping her close as they walked back to the courthouse in companionable silence.

"Did you know Doug was asking everyone to write those letters?" Puck asked suddenly his mind playing over that revelation and Rachel answered that she didn't.

"I had no idea. I wonder what they say."

Puck contemplated it and realized it explained Finn, Mike and Matt's odd behaviour the day before. 'Do you think it will make a difference?" He asked quietly as they walked up the steps to enter the building.

"Yeah I do." She answered truthfully, halting mid step and forcing him to stop with her. "You heard the Judge Noah, she wants to see that you've changed and you have, no one can dispute that. Whatever is written in those letters, I'm sure she'll see that and she'll know that she can't punish you for reacting the way Puck would have done, so thoughtlessly, when you Noah were doing it gallantly for all the_ right_ reasons."

He stroked his knuckles down her cheek. "You're talking about me in third person again." He informed her. She did that a lot, referencing Puck when speaking of the asshole things he used to do to her and others. It's funny how he'd begun to do it too, after the conversation he'd had with Finn when he'd been arrested and his oldest friend had differentiated between the 'Puck' persona he'd always presented and the thoughtful acts 'Noah' did for those he cared about.

Rachel was shrugging and he turned his head to glance in the direction of the courtroom, mentally preparing himself for what was coming. He looked back at her and she merely nodded encouragingly at him, knowing she could say no more and that in a short while, it would all be over one way or another.

When they returned to the courtroom, he apologized to his worried mother who hugged him tightly and whispered tightly that she loved him so much.

Andy and James both clapped him on the back and the gleeks swamped around him once more offering their well wishes, as if he was going on a trip, a notion he found quite ridiculous no matter how thankful he was that they were all there with him.

Rachel was once more seated in the row behind him, wedged between her fathers and as the court was called into session again Puck leant over and pressed his lips to hers quite desperately. She kissed him back with equal abandon, oblivious to her dad's who were shifting awkwardly at the display. When his lips caressed hers softly, one last time, he pulled back running his thumb over her swollen bottom lip.

"I love you." He whispered huskily and her eyes widened. She saw the exact moment his own words registered to him as a panicked expression stole over his face and she pulled him in for another quick kiss before he could backtrack. By this time the Judge had already been seated and was asking the two of them testily to sit down.

"Sorry Your Honour." Puck apologized earnestly, truthfully relieved at the intervention as he immediately turned and sat back down. Rachel follow suit and saw the Judge's intent gaze flick between her and Noah with interest before she spoke.

"I see no reason to prolong this hearing any further, so it is my wish to be quite frank with this assembly." The Judge began. "After reading through both the police reports and witness statements, I must admit I am bewildered as to why this case has even been brought into my courtroom."

"It's clear to me, setting aside Mr Puckermans rather colourful past, that as Mr Adam's suggested the assault on Mr Lagenthol was neither baseless nor unprovoked."

The Judge paused, taking off her reading glasses and touching the arm of the frames to her lip.

"And while I admit I was somewhat hesitant to read the character references provided on you Mr Puckerman, I can't deny it was a very clever ploy on your Lawyers behalf that has indeed paid off for you today."

Puck didn't dare to breath, holding his breath in terrified expectation.

"Your peers have been brutally attacked by you, both physically and emotionally and yet they maintain the notion that sitting before me is a changed man. Reading over their declarations as they detail the transformation you appear to have undertaken, effectively swayed my initial assumption of you." She confessed.

"I have no doubt that you have changed Mr Puckerman and I applaud your efforts."

Puck shifted in his seat, resisting the urge to turn to Langenthol's lawyer and flip the bird in his direction.

"However, I am concerned about the severity of the beating Mr Lagenthol took. Anger is a sentiment that is most often underestimated and the ramifications of the emotion when it is misplaced can be deadly.

"Therefore, I am sentencing you to 100 hours community service Mr Puckerman and order you to attend an 8 week anger management course. It is my hope that the progress you have made over these last months continues, and I believe that time spent serving your community and the opportunity to learn how to effectively manage any pent up aggression you have lingering will prove invaluable to you. I don't want to see you in my court room again Mr Puckerman. Is that understood?"

Puck nodded dumbly, trying vainly to grasp the fact that he was off the hook. Community service would be a walk in the park. He'd do 1000 hours so long as he could sit down to his mothers admittedly inconsistent cooking and hold Rachel close to him throughout the night.

He laughed incredulously as his side of the courtroom erupted in cheers and he dazedly shook Doug's hand before he was tackled by his girl, catching her as she jumped on him to wrap her legs around his waist, her hands and lips seemingly everywhere as she rained soft kisses all over his face.

"Oh Noah, I'm so relieved! So, so relieved." She repeated over and over and he smiled against her onslaught, squeezing her tight.

She eventually let go of him and he steadied her on her feet before his mother swooped in to embrace him. Rachel stood beside him, her hands clasped and her wide grin threatened to split her entire face as one by one, Puck took the time to hug and thank everyone for being there for him.

Kurt ordered them all to make their way to his house for an impromptu celebratory party, adults included and they all cheered in agreement, laughing and whooping as they left the building, uncaring of the stares and looks of exasperation they were garnering from everyone they passed.

Puck craned his neck as they walked, trying to seek out Rachel amongst the spirited group, as they had been separated in the midst of the hugging and he found her walking arm in arm with his mother, chatting animatedly. He socked Finn in the arm as he darted past his friend and fell into step with the two leading ladies in his life. Rachel glanced at him, smiling as his fingers slid between hers and he smirked back.

When they had all reached the parking lot and started to debate who was carpooling with whom, Puck impatiently pulled Rachel aside, his elation over his win in court manifesting into an intent need to touch her. Again he crashed his lips to hers, pouring everything he had into the kiss; his hands caressing her lower back and holding her flush against his body. Rachel was right there with him, his tongue duelling with his as her own jubilation kept the hesitance and uneasiness she sometimes felt when she and Noah were intimate, at bay.

They were oblivious to the cat calls and whistles as they got lost in each other and Puck's mother was the one voted to break them up, pressing her car keys into her son's hand and telling him she'd get a ride to Kurt's with Rachel's fathers. Kurt yelled out that the entwined couple should 'take their time' cruising to his house for the gathering, claiming they needed time to prepare for the guest of honour. Once again, Puck was struck dumb by the overwhelming support from his closest friends.

Mrs Puckerman rolled her eyes at them and gestured for them to continue with what they were doing and Puck needed no more prompting, gladly pinning Rachel against his mother's car and attacking her mouth with renewed vigour.

When they came up for air Puck rested his forehead against hers and she kept her eyes closed, stroking her fingers at the nape of his neck.

"Noah," she panted against his lips, struggling to catch her breath after being so thoroughly devoured. "What you said earlier, in the courtroom…I want you to know that-"

He cut her off with another kiss, "You don't have to say it back." He was uncharacteristically self-conscious. "I've never felt this way about any other girl and it just slipped out. I just wanted you to know that I do, well you know…." She opened her own eyes to see Puck's were lowered after his awkward proclamation, his hesitance to say the L word out load again adorable.

"I'm glad." She said, smiling brilliantly. "Because I love you too Noah. So much."

He grinned at her unabashed. "Really?"

She quirked her brow leaning into him and tipping her face up again, puckering her lips childishly begging for another kiss, which he gave willingly.

"Really."

A mere split second later his hands were back in her hair and his mouth was slanted over hers. Rachel found herself wishing he'd wear suits more often because she delighted in gripping the lapels of his jacket and pulling him even closer to her, than even seemed possible. It was only when she felt the door handle digging uncomfortably into her lower back did she push gently at his chest, signalling that he should let her go. He did so grudgingly, muttering his displeasure.

"We should go." She murmured regretfully, wiping her lip gloss from his pouting lower lip.

Puck lowered his head to her shoulder, nuzzling his face into her throat while the arm around her waist kept her in place. "We don't. Kurt said to take our time."

She shivered as his teeth raked gently over her collarbone and she tilted her head, giving him better access even as she attempted to get them moving. "Ok, well let's at least get out of this parking lot. We can quickly stop by both of our houses for our bathing suits, just in case we want to go swimming. Kurt has a pool don't forget." He nodded reluctantly, letting her go and unlocking the passenger side door with the key.

"Rach." As she rested her hand on the top of the door frame and spun back towards him Puck lifted a strand of hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. His fingertips trailed to her jaw and he lifted her chin so their eyes met.

"Thank you."

Her eyebrow rose in confusion as she searched his smouldering hazel gaze for some clue as to what was going on it that head of his.

"For what?"

"For just," his eyes left hers for a split second and she was amazed to see his cheeks redden in the most endearing manner. "I guess…..shit!" he ran an unsteady hand over his scalp and was momentarily disconcerted when short bristles tickled his palm instead of a stripe of thick velvetiness.

God he missed the 'hawk.

She prompted him gently. "For what Noah?" she asked again.

He pursed his lips and went to say something before letting out a small sound of annoyance, irritated with himself for his inability to figure out how to voice exactly what he was feeling.

He shrugged almost helplessly, pleading for her just to get it and not put him through this misery. "Because you said it back, that you…"

She smiled slightly. "That I love you."

His shoulders relaxed at her assertion. "Yeah. You know, no-one's ever said that to me…apart from my Mom." He corrected almost as an afterthought.

"Is it selfish of me to be glad of that?" She wondered shamefully and he grinned.

"I love you too." He murmured, disarming her with that underused smile.

Rachel stepped easily back into his embrace, all thoughts of parties and swimsuits forgotten as she looped her arms around his neck.

"So I love you and you love me? Pretty heavy for two people who aren't in a relationship and are just 'exploring it a little' don't you think?" she quoted part of the ineloquent speech he'd given her the week before when they were trying to define what they were to each other.

"Fine, we're in a relationship." He admitted wryly. "Should I go out and tattoo your name on my ass now or later?" he joked and she pretended to ponder the question.

"Later," she decided, closing the distance between their lips. "Right now I want to show you again how happy I am that the Judge ruled in your favour today. Objections?"

"None." Puck declared, meeting her halfway.

He had none at all.

* * *

Come join the Puckleberry insanity over on Twitter! I'm sassy_26 and if you're Glee/Mark Salling obsessed and don't mind tweeting about it all day, you wont be disappointed!


	20. Chapter 19

_**AN: 1 more day to go….are you excited gleeks? Channel 10 in Australia hasn't indicated when they'll start airing the back 9 episodes so I'm understandably devastated. Unsure whether to boycott twitter so I'm not subjected to the excitement of my American tweet pals or glue myself to the screen eager for any little tidbits they feel the need to share…**_

_**Periodic Brilliance: I didn't forget; there's a special little 'present' for you in this chapter , hope you like it!**_

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When Rachel and Puck arrived at Kurt's, the 'party' was in full swing. They could hear laughter and music coming from the backyard and judging by the shrieks and splashing that could be heard, it sounded as though the gathering had turned into a pool party so they were glad they had stopped off for their swimsuits.

Puck led Rachel around the side of the house so they could enter via the gate directly into the yard and when they strolled into view of the back porch, Puck stopped dead in his tracks, causing Rachel to bump into his back. "Noah? What is it?" She peered around his shoulder and saw immediately what had claimed his attention.

There, hanging proudly between the pillars of the decking was a large black and white banner that read: Happy Jail-Free Day PUCK!!

As her eyes took in the banner and the sight of their friends, those not already in the pool decked out in orange jumpsuits with number sequences on the back, the group burst out into a rousing rendition of 'He's a Jolly Good Fellow', substituting 'fellow' for 'felon'. Rachel cracked up, holding her belly as she shook with laughter while Puck just shook his head. "You're nuts, all of you. Completely fucking whacked!"

Kurt came forward, grinning, with a ball and chain made out of white and black crepe paper and a black balloon which he fastened to Puck's ankle.

"You like?" he queried, gesturing to the banner and decorations, whose recurring white and black theme coupled with the prison inmate style shirts, was supposed to invoke a jail-like theme to the party.

Rachel nodded, wiping at her streaming eyes and swallowing the last of her giggles as she slid her arm around Puck's waist. "I can't believe you threw him a Felon's Party."

Puck glanced at her in askance as his own arm settled around her shoulders. "A Felon's party? There's actually a name for this?"

"Sure." Kurt replied. "Haven't you ever watched Gilmore Girls? Logan and his friends threw one for Rory when she was sentenced to community service for stealing a yacht. I can't help but see the parallels in your circumstances."

Puck rolled his eyes having no clue as to what Kurt was referencing and steered Rachel over to the rest of their friends. "This looks great guys." Puck complimented as his grumbling stomach noted the salads and hamburger fixings that would accompany the meat whose mouth watering fragrance was wafting from the grill currently being manned by Burt Hummel, Mr Shue and Andy. James and Puck's mother Sarah were seated nearby talking with Ms Pillsbury and Finn's mother Carol, leaving the rest of the gleeks to loiter around the tables and the poolside.

Puck bumped fists with the guys while Rachel was pulled out of his hold so the girls could slyly interrogate her about Puck's declaration of love in the courtroom and then the subsequent display in the parking lot after.

She answered their questions generally, refusing to delve into the specifics of what was said, intent on keeping the moment private between her and Noah.

Puck looked over at her as Santana huffily declared she didn't know why Rachel was being so secretive, pointing out that both she and Brittany were former girlfriends of the popular jock so it was highly unlikely Rachel could say anything about the boy that they didn't already know or suspect.

Puck covertly winked at her and Rachel smiled back. She had no doubts that _**her**_ Noah was practically a stranger to the Latina and her sunny blonde friend. Puck had told her outright that she was the first girl that he had loved and Rachel was sure the other two girls had never been privy to the thoughts and emotions Noah was only just getting comfortable sharing with her.

When the girls had exhausted Rachel with their questions, they settled in lounge chairs by the pool, stripping down to their swimsuits and donning sunglasses with the intent to lay out and tan. Rachel had just swung her legs onto her sunbed when she felt a shadow loom over her.

She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up to see a now shirtless Puck grinning down at her.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked in mock suspicion as she squirted sunblock onto her palm. His grin widened as he scraped his hand over hers, transferring the cream onto his own palm and nudged her forward so he could sit behind her. Rachel held up her hair as he worked the lotion into her shoulders, down under the thin string of her bikini top and over her lower back, biting back a moan as his hands rubbed over her skin.

When he was done, he kissed her shoulder and stood. "Coming in Berry?" he gestured to the water with his head and held out his hand. She took it automatically and allowed him to pull her up and lead her to the pool's edge. Letting go of her hand he cannon balled into the water, creating a huge splash that soaked Rachel as well as Mercedes and Tina who were lounging nearby. All three girls let out a shriek as the boys laughed. Puck broke through the surface and chuckled at Rachel's look of indignation.

"You're an ass Noah Puckerman!" She declared, unamused and he shrugged unrepentantly.

"Yes, but you love me." He shot back slyly with a cock of his eyebrow. She scoffed and crossed her arms, trying not to smile at she enjoyed this relaxed, carefree version of him.

"I do." She confirmed testing her toe in the water. "It's a mystery as to why though."

"It's my rugged good looks." He answered easily and held his arms out wide. "Jump in Rach."

"It's cold." She protested backing up from the edge.

Puck slapped the water, causing another small splash. "Get in baby or I'll come and get you." She smiled at the prospect.

"Really?" she purred and pretending to back up a few more steps, "In that case…."

Before she had a chance to finish that sentence, Finn came out of nowhere and picked her up easily, tossing her into the water near where Puck had been paddling.

She came up coughing and spluttering, pushing the hair out of her eyes. Her glare swept past Puck who was swimming towards her to settle on the lanky Quarterback who had jumped in after her, grinning goofily. "Payback will be sweet." She promised seriously as Puck reached her and she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's neck, still shooting Finn dark looks. "Saccharine sweet."

Puck kissed her nose, 'I like you wet and pissy."

She rolled her eyes, kicking her legs in circling motions to stay afloat.

The afternoon passed pleasantly, with good food and great company. After lunch Noah brought out his guitar and drew his friends into an impromptu jam session with Finn accompanying him on a make shift drum kit he created out of overturned Tupperware containers.

When the gathering showed no signs of breaking up, Burt Hummel called for pizza and it wasn't until 10pm when the adults started yawning, that they all said their goodbyes and headed for their own homes.

Later, Rachel came out of her bathroom, rubbing jasmine scented moisturiser into her arms as she kicked off her slippers and undid her robe, hanging it over the stool at the foot of her bed.

She glanced over at Puck, who was sitting up against the headboard, papers spread all over the bed at his side. "What are you reading?" She asked curiously as she crawled over to him and settled against his side. His arm came around her and he tilted the loose pages in his hand so she could see.

"The letters of recommendation the Gleeks wrote for me. Doug gave me copies." He answered, his eyes returning to the text.

"Oh, I was hoping I could see what they wrote." Rachel commented draping her leg over his as she turned her body closer into his. "May I read too?"

"Sure." He moved the sheets of paper so they could both read comfortably and she saw that this one had been written by Matt.

Rachel hadn't spent a lot of time with Matt outside of Glee club, so she was suitably surprised to discover that the dark skinned boy had a beautiful way with words.

In his letter he detailed the struggle his family had faced the summer before when his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and his father had been forced to pick up a second job so that their family could meet their financial commitments when the illness had forced his mother to quit her job. With his two older brothers away at college, it was left to Matt to take care of his 2 younger sisters while his father worked and his mother underwent chemotherapy.

Matt wrote how a week into summer vacation, after he had confided in his friends the severity of his mothers illness, Puck had shown up at his house one morning with his own sister Beth. The former mohawked teen had kept the three young girls entertained with movies & painting activities, spending hours playing dress up and Barbies with them, driving them to and from playdates with friends while Matt struggled to cope with the multitude of household chores and responsibilities that had fallen on him.

Puck took it upon himself to help with the burden, mowing the lawn and keeping up with maintenance and repairs on the aging two storey home, assisting Matt with the renovation of the back sunroom into a bedroom for his mother who had been struggling to make it up the stairs in her weakened condition and felt isolated from her family, confined to a bed on the second level while her husband and children spent majority of their times downstairs.

Puck refused to accept any thanks or reimbursement for the money he had spent on Matt's sisters, or the groceries he sometimes stopped for on his way over. Matt wrote that Puck's presence over that summer had been a godsend, successfully alleviating the tension and gloom that had threaten to settle over the household.

Matt's mother had been in remission for the last six months and demanded Puck make a point to stop by their house at least once a fortnight to share a meal with the family he had done so much for, bringing Beth along with him for 'playdates'.

Rachel slipped her hand into Puck's when she came to the end of the letter. She had always known he had a sensitive depth to him, a faucet of his personality that had been displayed more often over the last few weeks but having irrevocable proof

of this trait and reading the appreciation for it that came from one of his closest friends, warmed her insides and invoked an intense sense of pride in her for the boy who had come to mean so much to her.

Kurt's letter was more amusing that heartwarming. Three quarters of the typed page was a detailed account of the number of designer garments that had been ruined as a result of Puck throwing the Fashionista into dumpsters and the estimated cleaning costs accrued as a result of the jock's unique form of bullying.

The slight soprano eventually got to the point, detailing how after his appointment onto the football team, Puck insisted on hanging around the locker rooms after practice until Kurt was ready to leave, running interference between the openly gay kicker and some of the more aggressive players who had never accepted him as part of their side and had tried on a number of occasions to get violent with the smaller boy.

Puck's capacity for kindness had always lurked beneath his hardened exterior and Rachel was happy to see that even before joining Glee, Puck had allowed his mask of indifference to slip in order to do the right thing by his teammate, even if he himself had initially been reluctant to accept Kurt.

Mike, Brittany and Santana's letters were brief, similarly comparing the Puck they had been friends with for years, to the man that had emerged over the last few years.

Puck skipped over Tina and Artie's letters in favour of the one Finn had provided. It was this letter that Rachel knew had demonstrated to the Judge how Noah had changed and ultimately swayed her decision.

His words were simple and uncomplicated, yet he delved into his considerable history with Puck in detail and at length. Finn wrote about their shared childhood and their similar upbringings in single parent households that lacked a suitable male role model. He told of their struggles to acclimate to Junior High and the lengths they went to and the pranks they pulled to establish themselves as part of the popular crowd, often at the expense of the "losers" they now called friends.

He was brutally honest about Puck's betrayal in sleeping with Quinn and the baby that was born out of the mess and given up for adoption.

Finn delved into his best friends psyche in a way only he could, with years of friendship and familiarity on his side. He put forward his theories on the effect Puck's fathers leaving had on him and how his feelings of rejection and abandonment prompted him to keep people at arms length to avoid emotional entanglement and the minimise the risk of getting hurt.

It was giving his baby up for adoption that changed Puck, Finn claimed. Determined to prove to himself, Quinn and the rest of them that he wasn't a Lima Loser, Puck latched onto Rachel, the only person to search beneath his façade and find the Noah he had worked so hard to conceal.

It was with her help and encouragement that Puck began to change his mindset. Even though he wasn't talking to his friend at the time, Finn had seen him attend his classes more regularly, take pride in his schoolwork and had taken notice of the demonstrable shift in the teen's attitude and demeanour. He was calmer and more content and prior to that altercation with Lagenthol, it had been months since Puck had been in trouble for fighting or indeed for anything at all.

Finn wrote that he was proud of the way his friend had turned his life around but feared all the progress made would be wasted if the Judge decided to punish him harshly and unfairly. It was the Quarterbacks opinion that time in jail or a juvenile detention centre would only further harden his friend, which is the last thing that he needed.

Evidently the Judge had been of the same opinion and as Rachel finished reading Finn's letter, she yawned and felt her eyelids drop as the events of the day caught up with her.

"We have good friends." She said drowsily as she felt Puck's fingers rake through her hair. "Go to sleep Rach, it's late." He urged and she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and nodded.

"M'kay." Rachel mumbled, "Love you."

She heard the rustling of papers and he leaned over her to turn out the bedside lamp, dropping a kiss on her lips as he snuggled with her under the covers. "I love you too baby." He said quietly wrapping his arms around her and she smiled against his chest.

The sentiment was new so she couldn't be sure, but she didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing him say it.

**************

A few days later, Rachel and Kurt sat side by side on a park bench with their mouths hanging open, ice cream cones long forgotten and melting in their hands.

In the playground across the other side of the grassy lawn, Puck was smirking at a boy around his age as they both spread mulch around the swing sets. Today was the commencement of his community service hours and he and four others, along with a program Supervisor were working on the local park development.

"Has he been working out?" Kurt mumbled as they watched the muscles in Puck's arms and back ripple with his movements, his bronzed skin glowing with a fine sheen of sweat. The day was warm and his shirt had long been discarded, much to Rachel and Kurt's appreciation, leaving him clad only in a pair of long denim shorts that sat low on his hips, displaying the black band of his boxer briefs.

"Mmpf" came Rachel's garbled answer as she stared, her brain unable to form cohesive thought patterns. All she could do was silently thank Judge Alderson

for sentencing Puck to shirtless community service. Because, although of course no mention of attire was ever discussed, Puck was engaging in manual labour….outside…. during summer and Rachel knew from years of watching Puck parade around the streets of Lima over the warmer months, that the teen pretty much spent the entire break in nothing more than board shorts.

At that moment Puck glanced in their direction and taking notice of them for the first time, came jogging over.

"Hey babe. What are you doing here?" He asked, leaning one hand on the back of the bench and ducking down to peck her on the lips.

"Kurt and I had a craving for ice cream and saw you. We thought we'd wait until you were finished and get a ride home." Rachel managed to explain, keeping her eyes fixed on his face and her hands that were itching to run themselves over his very bare, defined chest, clenched in her lap.

"I've got another hour or so to go." Puck said regretfully. 'Are you sure you want to hang around in the sun for that long? You look a bit pink already."

Kurt choked on his laughter as Rachel's flush deepened. "I don't think it's the sun that's bothering our Diva here. I think she's perfectly content just admiring the view."

Rachel hissed out her friends name and Puck raised his eyebrow and smirked, "The view? Rach, were you checking me out?"

She shook her head in denial even as her gaze lowered and swept over his exposed upper body, lingering on the 'gun show' he was so proud of.

Puck noticed.

'You were!" he crowed victoriously, dropping onto the bench beside her and slinging his arm around her shoulders. "I don't know why you can't just say so. I'm hot. You can admit it, you like perving on me!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and half heartedly tried to shake his arm off. "The size of your ego never fails to astound me Noah." She informed him exasperatedly. He grinned and leaned in to murmur that his ego wasn't the only thing whose size would impress her.

Her face was now flaming in embarrassment as he chuckled and Kurt snickered. "You're disgusting." She proclaimed in annoyance and Puck kissed her temple and stood, stretching his arms above his head, laughing as Rachel's eyes unwillingly followed his movements. At his bark of laughter she stood as well, tossing her abandoned ice cream cone into the bin and wiping her hands with a napkin.

"On second thoughts, we'll walk." She decided, turning her gaze on her companion. "Let us depart Kurt."

When she went to walk off without so much as a goodbye, Puck grabbed her arm and pulled her easily against his body. "Nah uh." He clicked his tongue in reprimand. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

She blinked owlishly up at him. "I can't imagine what." She returned, injecting a stiff formality into her tone.

"Kiss" he demanded with a grin, making no effort to instigate one. Rachel gave a long suffering sigh and reached up on her tip toes to comply. The briefness of the contact failed to satisfy him and when she stepped back, he once again reached out for her and slanted his mouth over hers caressing her lips with his tongue, causing Kurt to protest loudly and avert his gaze.

Puck let her go after giving her one last lingering kiss and swatted her behind as he gave her a little push. "I'll see you later." He promised, his grin turning smug when she stumbled a little bit; his kisses_ always_ upset her equilibrium.

When he crossed back over to the playground he found his new community service buddies throwing him looks of admiration and envy. "Dude, that your girl?" one of them asked and Puck nodded proudly.

"She's one hot little package." Another added appreciatively, still watching the departing figure of the girl in question as she and Kurt strolled leisurely towards the park exit.

Puck stiffened automatically and regarded his companions carefully. They hadn't really gotten into what they had all done to be here and he was wary of the attention his girlfriend was receiving. What Lagenthol had done to Rachel was something he knew would be foremost in his mind for the rest of his days. He suspected he would forever eye up other men with suspicion, gauging whether he thought they were capable of those same despicable acts. His current companions were at the top of the 'most likely' list given considering the activities they might have engaged in to land themselves there with him and having Rachel on any of their radars made Puck uneasy.

"You know," he commented neutrally, "The last person to say something like that to me ended up with fucking screws in his jaw."

His warning may have been laughable, considering that all of the others knew without a doubt that they had more street cred than the youth and each believed that if it came down to a fight, they could take Puck down, but the flash of warning in his suddenly dark eyes had all of them unknowingly shifting nervously.

The one who had been vocally admiring Rachel's body held up his hands in a gesture of surrender and chuckled to break the tension that had suddenly fallen. "Hey man, we got it. The brunette belongs to you. We won't forget."

The others murmured in agreement as the tense grip Puck had on his shovel threatened to splinter the wood clean in half. He nodded jerkily and they all returned to the task at hand, unable to shake the awkward energy that followed the conversation.

Meanwhile, Rachel was walking home alongside Kurt who, and after several failed attempts at drawing her into conversation, stopped in his tracks and demanded to know what was up with her. She bit her lip as she considered whether to confide in the slight boy and her hesitance must have been obvious, for Kurt laid a hand on her arm and adopted his most inviting expression of trustworthiness.

"You know you can tell me anything right? I promise whatever you say will remain just between the two of us. I won't even relay it to our Chocolate Diva, even if she begs."

Rachel smiled slightly and continued to walk, gathering her scattered thoughts.

"It's nothing specific." She confided eventually, "I was just thinking about Noah."

Kurt arched his perfectly shaped eyebrow that seemed to say, 'And?'

"It's just-" She paused, thinking hard. "Confusing." It was evident by the wrinkling of her nose that Rachel was unhappy with the conclusion she'd drawn.

"Puck is confusing, or your relationship is confusing?" Kurt thought that trying to follow this conversation was the perplexing part.

"No, Noah's wonderful." Rachel declared breathily and Kurt had to cut back on the sarcastic comment threatening to roll of his tongue. He had a feeling whatever Rachel was trying to express would be worth it. "I'm merely finding it difficult balancing the more physical side to our relationship."

_**Soooo worth it**_, Kurt thought to himself, resisting the urge to bounce up and down on the balls of his feet.

"That is," she continued. "Needless to say I find Noah extremely attractive and whenever I'm within a square foot of his personal space I just want to grab him and-" a small growl reverberated in the back of her throat and judging by the astonished expression that stole over her features, Rachel was just as surprised as Kurt by her reaction.

Kurt cleared his throat, linking his arm through the petite brunettes as they continued in the direction of Rachel's house. "Who could blame you?" Kurt asked blithely, his eyes glazing over. "That body…. those eyes…his full, pouty lips…." They sighed in unison and then giggled.

When her amusement faded, Rachel glanced sideways at her friend, second guessing whether she wanted to divulge her thoughts. Her internal struggle lasted less than a minute before she found herself opening up. "As I said, I have these…impulses when Noah and I are kissing but then I can't help thinking about Alex Lagenthol and I-"

"Freeze." Kurt surmised, patting her arm comfortingly with his free hand. 'Sweetie that's completely understandable given what happened to you. Puck's not pressuring you is he? Because if he is, I'll show that oversexed jock that-"

"Of course not." Rachel interrupted. "As I said, Noah is wonderful and extremely considerate. He is very careful in ensuring I feel comfortable with him and the way that he touches me."

"How and more importantly, _**where**_ has he been touching you." Kurt couldn't help but ask suggestively and Rachel bumped her hip against his, rolling her eyes.

"Nowhere inappropriate." She assured him. "Though I think that maybe…" She bit her lip, "Maybe I want him too."

Again Kurt came to an abrupt stop and Rachel shifted restlessly, colour flooding her cheeks as she looked down in shame. "I'm indecorously wanton aren't I? I should be ashamed of myself for having these thoughts after what happened to me."

"Please!" Kurt held up his hand to dissuade her from going on. "Rachel, what happened to you was awful, but you're still a teenage girl who just like the rest of us, is a slave to your hormones. You can't help the way you feel or control the way your body reacts, especially seeing as you have such a fine specimen of raw masculinity hanging off your lips every five seconds. He's your boyfriend hon, you shouldn't be ashamed of anything that transpires between the two of you."

She mulled this over. "It's just so soon after… well you know."

Kurt took both of her hands in his. "If you're sure about Puck, then to hell with timing. All that matters is that you're comfortable and ready."

"I'm not ready for intercourse." She clarified surely. "But I think I'm ready to take things further. I mean, when he's kissing me I _want_ to go further, I just don't know how to sync my brain and my body so that they're on the same page. I know Noah would stop whenever I tell him to, so why is it that sometimes I panic and can't seem to reconcile that it's Noah touching me and not…_**HIM**_." She blanched.

Kurt dropped her hands and hugged her tightly. "I don't have an answer to that Rach, I'm sure your counsellor could help you with analyzing that. What I will say though, is that in your situation I'm sure it's not as simple as flicking a switch and one day finding you have no problem with intimacy at all. It's probably something you need to work on and through with Puck. Practice makes perfect right? You should start out slow and try and push the envelope as much as you can stand."

"Practice." Rachel repeated thoughtfully, thinking that maybe Kurt was on to something.

"I doubt Puck would mind." Kurt said dryly. "The guy hasn't seen any action in months thanks in part I suspect, to his infatuation with you. I think the moment your hand ventures anywhere near his groin he's going to pull a Finn and disgrace himself."

Finn's early arrival problem had become common knowledge to the glee club, and in fact the whole school, after news of Babygate broke out and it was discovered Finn had thought he'd impregnated Quinn by ejaculating in a hot tub.

Rachel ignored his lewd comment and instead focused on the other part of Kurt's assertion. "Noah wasn't infatuated with me." She denied and Kurt scoffed.

"Are you blind? Of course he was. When it became apparent that Quinn was never going to let him have a say in anything to do with that baby and he felt ostracized by the rest of us, he followed you around like a little lost puppy."

Rachel ran her hand uncertainly through her hair. "Well that's understandable. For a while there Noah was shunned by all of you. It's why we became friends in the first place, he had no other options." Her statement was derisive.

Kurt left that alone. "Yes but soon he wasn't just _sitting_ with you. He was staring at you in ardent fascination, like you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen-"

Rachel pushed him lightly as his voice turned melodramatic and he fluttered his eyelashes adopting a star struck expression.

"I dare you to say that to Noah." She said with a smile and Kurt immediately dropped his theatrics. He liked his head attached to his body, thank you very much.

"Seriously Rachel, I meant what I said. I think you need to work on rounding those bases with Puck and getting acquainted more intimately with each others bodies. He loves you and as you said, he'll be very careful."

"You're right." She admitted. "I love Noah and I trust him. All I can do is try, and hopefully I'll feel more comfortable and things can progress naturally."

"Practice." Kurt confirmed and she nodded.

Practice indeed, and that's just what she instigated that very night.

***************

"Baby." Puck panted as her lips left his and she straddled his hips, pushing him further back into the mass of pillows on her bed. "Shouldn't we slow down here?" He let out a guttural groan as she kissed a trail from his jaw down his neck, only to return to that spot behind his ear that she'd only recently discovered made him go crazy when she bit down on it gently.

"Shut up." She breathed and he gripped the back of her thighs and pulled her down to his lap so she felt the stiffness of his erection, ineffectively restrained in the sweatpants he had donned after his shower earlier that evening.

"Oh god." she moaned as she ground herself against his hardness, her mouth searching again for his. Puck gripped her waist, stilling her movements as his tongue teased her lips before plundering into her mouth. She wiggled in his grasp, trying vainly to roll her hips against his and he broke off their kiss, breathing raggedly. "Fuck Rach. Do you know what you're doing to me?"

She reached between their bodies to brush her hand against his aching cock, "I may have some idea." She answered almost shyly holding his gaze, and they stared at each other for a full minute before he shook his head slightly, covering the hand that was pressed against him and bringing it up to his mouth.

"Rach…"

When she felt his warm lips press onto her palm, her breath hitched at the tenderness of his action and she rubbed her knuckles over his cheek and kissed him softly before claiming her hand back. That gesture right there? That was proof enough for her that she was doing the right thing. She wanted to be closer to him, to feel his hands teasing her body, stirring up heat and emotion she didn't know she was even capable of.

She could do it, Rachel decided. Sure she might succumb to a moment of panic but Kurt was right, she needed to focus on Noah and push through her sense of discomfort until she was accustomed to the feel of him touching her most sensitive places.

With unsteady fingers, she drew the oversized t shirt she was wearing over her head, baring her naked torso to his heated gaze.

He drew himself up into a sitting position, gulping visibly at this new expanse of flesh that was in his direct line of sight. Wordlessly she picked up his large hand and drew it to her breast, urging him to cup her. "Touch me." She implored softly when he made no attempt to move, and his eyes rose from her dusky rose nipples to her face.

"Are you sure?" He asked seriously, his voice low and husky and she nodded, letting her hand fall away from his to slide up his forearm and over his bicep.

"Please."

He hesitated before giving her flesh an experimental squeeze. Rachel arched her back into his touch and the confidence that seemed to have momentarily deserted him, returned. He wasn't some naïve 12 year old that had never seen a pair of boobs before; he was a fucking stud for Christ sake. It was about time he remembered that and showed her that _**this**_, he flicked his thumb over her nipple causing it to pucker and harden, _**this**_ is what he _**did**_ and did well.

He continued to knead her breast while his head lowered to lavish attention on the other one, teeth scraping against the taught bud. She cried out and he did it again, biting down on the sensitive peek before flicking his tongue out to curl around and soothe the spot he was assaulting.

"Oh Noah…' He sucked and nipped, causing a surge of desire to surge throughout her body, heading straight for the apex of her thighs. She felt her core begin to tingle and instinctively she began to rock against him. He released her nipple with an audible wet pop and buried his face in her neck.

"Fuck woman, you are trying to kill me." He decided, but this time he didn't stop her movements. Instead, he lifted her up and settled her over his thigh. Placing hot open mouthed kisses over her collarbone, he tightened his hands over her hips encouraging her to resume her rocking.

Rachel felt the hot tingling give way to an acute throbbing and she rubbed eagerly against his upper thigh, biting back a moan at the sensation even as she realized that it didn't feel exactly right.

"Noah, it's not enough." She panted lightly into his ear, gripping his shoulders as he helped her grind more firmly against him, her hand ghosting down his chest once more to touch him. She stroked the bulge through the material of his pants, sucking in sharply as she felt it twitch at her touch.

"I need to… can't I?" she rose off his leg and straddled him again, hovering uncertainly.

"Please." She beseeched again and as he looked up at her, with her dark hair falling over her bare breasts in waves, cheeks flushed and chocolate eyes sparkling with desire, he wondered how he was ever supposed to deny her anything

He nodded wordlessly and when she sank down gratefully onto his hardness, he thrust upwards to meet her halfway. She gasped and stilled as she felt him press against her centre, her dampened panties and his sweatpants providing the only barrier between them. He looked up quickly to gauge her reaction, concerned they had once again overstepped the invisible line they seemed to be constantly teetering on the edge of. "Do it again." She was begging and he relaxed marginally, guiding her hips in their movements as he continued to thrust and they found their rhythm.

His hands slipped down to grip her ass, squeezing lightly as they rocked together in an exquisite imitation of sex. She moaned his name, her hands dragging his head back to her breast and Puck wasted no time in complying to her unspoken demand, taking her nipple into his mouth again while his fingers skimmed over her stomach and further south, pausing to brush lightly over the satiny skin of her inner thigh where he could feel the heat emanating from her crotch. Her pace increased and her gasps and moans come quicker and louder.

Puck slipped his hand between their bodies and rubbed her through her soaking underwear. Her hips jerked and she pressed down on his digits, effectively trapping

his hand between them. He heard her choke on a sob and he looked up in alarm to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

Immediately he snatched his hand from between her legs and dug his fingers into her hip to halt her movements while his other hand brushed away the offending tears.

"Rachel-"

Her eyes fluttered shut and she shook her head, her mouth setting in a straight line as she continued to dry ride him towards release. She was close, she could do this. "This is Noah, this is Noah." She chanted over and over in her mind.

She'd been right there with him, drowning pleasantly in the sensations he was coaxing from her body. But then his fingers against her panties had broken through the fog of euphoria and for a split second she had hesitated. That pause was all it took for the panic to well up.

"Rach, baby…" He had stopped his thrusting and was trying to get her to still but she was having none of it.

"No." she shook her wrist out of his grip and pushed heavily on his shoulders until was lying flat on his back. "Please Noah, please…" She was crying in earnest now, his face blurred through her tears as she rested her palms on his chest and rocked frantically.

He watched helplessly as she moved above him, running his warms hands over her arms until she stiffened and cried his name as she orgasmed, limply collapsing on top of him.

Puck gently gathered her to his chest, careful to keep any part of her from touching his still erect cock. He kissed the top of her head and pressed his face into her hair as she cried into his neck. He rubbed soothing circles over her back murmuring nonsense into her ear unsure of what exactly had just happened. One minute they were kissing, the next he knew she was practically naked and squirming in his lap.

"Babe please don't cry, I should have-"

_**Should have what?**_ He asked himself. _**Tried to slow her down, put a stop to it**_? He was pretty sure he had tried both those things. She'd been insistent and there was only so much of a fight he could put up. He was a dude…he had needs.

_**Yeah, but your needs aren't something your girlfriend should have to contend with when she's trying to make sense of being a victim of sexual assault**_. His conscience piped up and Puck closed his eyes against the reprimand.

"Why would you do that?" He burst out finally, his tone harsher than he'd intended. "You know you're not ready for this."

His words were aimed more at himself that her, he knew she wasn't ready yet he'd just let her…he should have put a stop to it.

"I'm so-so-sorry." She sobbed, her hot tears running down his neck. "I just wanted to…Kurt said you hadn't had any action in months…if I just pushed through it…" In her distress she didn't really pay attention to which parts of her conversation with Kurt that afternoon came tumbling from her lips, and unfortunately from the snippets she gave, the story Puck pieced together wasn't looking so good.

"What? Kurt you should just 'push through it' because I hadn't "had any action in months'?" He felt his temper ignite and he held Rachel tighter to him, vowing to stop by the Hummel house the next day and teach Kurt that it really wasn't kosher to butt into someone else's love life. Especially if that love life was Puck's and his interference saw Rachel crying brokenly in his arms.

Her body shuddered as a sob caught in her throat and Puck, felling anguished, continued to rub soothing circles over her back. Hadn't he made a promise to himself that he's make sure she had no reason to cry? Kurt Hummel was at the root of him breaking that promise and Puck wasn't just going to let that shit fly.

Gleek comrade or not, that kid was going to pay.


	21. Chapter 20

_**A/N: This is the second last chapter of BMS. It's strange that the last few weeks I've been anxious to have it come to an end but now that we're almost there, I'm devastasted! **_

_**Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read and review, it means a lot. Mwah!**_

* * *

Bright and early the next morning Puck was standing on the Hummel's porch, jabbing the doorbell with the pad of his thumb. He'd awoken scarcely a half hour before with Rachel curled up to his chest, in the same position she had been in when she'd fallen into an exhausted sleep the night before.

Seeing the look of torment on her face, even while she slumbered, reignited Puck's resentment of Kurt's interference and he was determined to confront the flamboyant singer while his anger was still fresh. Scribbling a quick note for Rachel to read when she woke up and dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead as she slept on, Puck pulled on jeans and a plain black tee and drove his rickety old truck the couple of miles to his destination.

A brief glance of the driveway confirmed that Burt had already left for work, with Kurt's Navigator the only vehicle in sight. Impatiently, Puck rang the bell again and rapped sharply on the glass for added emphasis.

A few seconds later he heard Kurt's grumbling on the other side and the door swung upon, revealing the boy in question clad in grey and pink striped silk pajamas; a matching pink satin eye mask perched over his sleep mussed blond hair.

"Puck." He yawned, rubbing at his eyes. 'What are you-"

Before he had a chance to finish the question, Puck had pushed him roughly aside and stalked past him to enter the foyer, which opened straight into a sunken living room.

"Please, do come in." Kurt muttered sarcastically, rubbing the spot on his chest where the jock had shoved him.

Puck spun around to face him, a scowl fixed on his features as he adopted his confrontational stance, standing with his legs shoulder width apart, strong arms crossed over his broad chest.

Kurt gulped as he took in his friend's formidable expression, trying to figure out the possible reasons for him to be there at that hour of the morning, unable to even appreciate the way the basic black tee emphasized the other boy's muscled upper body.

"What the hell did you say to her Hummel?" Puck demanded without preamble, his glare so intense that Kurt found himself shrinking back from the heat behind it.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about," Kurt replied in honest confusion. "To Rachel you mean?"

Puck's jaw was clenched so tight, the soprano thought his teeth might shatter. "Why, what's wrong? Is she ok?"

'No she's not ok!" Puck exploded angrily, uncrossing his arms to throw them in the air, prowling restlessly across the room and back again like a caged tiger. "Rachel spent the better half of the night sobbing into my shoulder because of you and your crappy fucking advice!"

Kurt's mouth formed a silent 'O' as he caught the gist of the situation. "Oh no." he murmured sympathetically. "She really wasn't ready." He guessed, clucking his tongue sympathetically.

Puck stopped at stared at him. "You know there's no way in HELL she's even _close_ to being ready for anything like you had in mind!"

Puck crowded Kurt's frame by the door, leaning in and snarling right into the boy's face. "Do me a fucking favour and keep your opinions about my sex life to yourself. Rachel's got enough to deal with already without you and your harpies putting ideas in her head, like she needs to 'reward' me for sticking with her through this. That's such bullshit!"

Puck was a vibrating ball of agitated energy and Kurt had turned his face away and was cringing, actually preparing for a fist to come flying in his direction when he registered what the intimidating left tackle was accusing him of.

"Wait, what?" Kurt asked, straightening and pushing Puck back a step.

"You heard me." Puck spat, stepping forward again to get back into the fashion iconoclast's face. "I want you and Mercedes to back the fuck off and-"

"Puck, just hang on a second!" Kurt held up his hand, effectively silencing the stream of words coming from the angry young man.

"You thought I told Rachel she needed to have sex with you?" he asked incredulously, raising one perfectly sculptured, sandy eyebrow. "No, that's just-" He shook his head and fixed a saddened look on his friend. "I know what Rachel's going through; I would never suggest such a thing to her. And I know you're not with her just for the sex. It's blatantly obvious how much you care about her."

"There is no sex." Puck stated needlessly, rolling his shoulders to release some of his balled up tension. 'There's not _going to be_ any sex."

"And you're ok with that?" Kurt clarified, unable to contain his curiosity.

He regretted it as soon as the words left his lips as he was fixed with another stare of absolute loathing.

"The fuck Beyonce? You really think that little of me? I _love_ her, damn it! I want her to get better, to work through her trauma. I'm not about to push her into satisfying my sexual urges when it'll be detrimental to her wellbeing." At Kurt's look of askance, Puck narrowed his eyes, "Yes I know what detrimental means."

Kurt smiled briefly, before adopting a grave look of concern. "That's what she was _trying_ to do Puck. When we spoke yesterday, Rachel was telling me about how desperately she wants to work through her issues and she thought that by 'practicing' with you, trying to engage in some moderate form of hanky panky, she would grow more comfortable with the physical aspects of a relationship with you."

Puck mulled that over, his eyebrow furrowed.

"She wants to 'practice'?" He repeated sceptically making quotation marks with his fingers.

Kurt nodded. 'Rachel said that you when you two were kissing, sometimes she froze up."

Puck cocked his head in silent acknowledgement, urging him to go on.

"I don't know if I should tell you this, but-"

"Say it." Puck demanded harshly, crossing his arms again and leaning against the wall, watching him carefully.

Kurt took a deep breath, inwardly hoping Rachel wouldn't kill him for breaking her confidence. But then, Puck was her boyfriend, and he really ought to be aware of her plan, if only so he was more careful with her.

"Rachel-" Kurt paused, indecisive. "Well…."

"Kurt." Puck all but growled in warning.

"Rachel said that when you two are in the heat of the moment, she wants to go further and then she hesitates and all she can think about is Lagenthol."

Puck's expression turned pained and Kurt rushed on.

"She knows you would never force her into doing anything but like I said, she_ wants_ to go to the next level. So I suggested she forage ahead, only a little, to see how much more she was comfortable doing and after a while, you know," He shrugged. "It would be easier."

Puck ran a hand over his face wearily. "And where did you get your psychology degree Hummel? A cereal box? Don't you think this conversation is something Rachel should be having with her counsellor, or I dunno, ME?"

"I can't believe she wouldn't discuss this with me before going through with this harebrained scheme. Fuck, I feel so _used_."

Kurt cracked a smile that Puck returned briefly.

"Why wouldn't she talk to me about it?" Puck wondered, more to himself than anything as he focused on a chip in the paintwork, his mind turning over.

"Have you met Rachel Berry?" Kurt asked drolly. "When that girl gets an idea into her head she rolls with it, there's no stopping her."

Puck nodded in agreement and sighed. Just when he thought they might be making progress and returning to some type of normalcy, a proverbial roadblock was strewn into their path.

"Last night, how far did you two go?" Kurt couldn't help but query, throwing his hands up in surrender when Puck threw him a look of irritation. "It was just a question, you don't have to answer it."

Puck scratched his chest uncomfortably, "There was some heavy petting and she was um, well, rubbing against me when she broke out into hysterics." Puck sighed again. "I tried to stop but she just kept going until she- well, you know. There was no calming her down after that."

"Oh Rach." Kurt murmured sympathetically.

"What are you going to do?"

Puck shrugged, "I dunno, try and talk to her about all this I guess. Make her see her counsellor today, someone who knows what they're fucking talking about." Puck shot him a pointed look and Kurt flushed guiltily.

"I really am sorry Puck." He stated seriously. "I thought I was helping. I'll keep my thought to myself next time. I really thought she'd discuss it with you first."

Puck clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder in thanks, smirking when the slight boy flinched.

"I appreciate that you're trying to be a good friend." Puck said. "You ARE a good friend." He paused. "To both of us." He shifted awkwardly. "Sorry for barging in here like I did." He muttered as an afterthought. "I better get back to her."

"I understand why you're upset. Just take care of our Diva alright?"

Kurt opened the door to let him out.

Puck tossed a wave over his shoulder and walked back to his truck, hands in his pockets and the weight of the world on his shoulders.

_Rachel Barbara Berry, what am I going to do with you?_

* * *

James and Andy were pottering around the kitchen when Puck returned, letting himself into the house and poking his head around the door to see if Rachel was downstairs.

"Good Morning Noah." James greeted, noting the paper bags in his hands and the tray of coffees.

"Did you go out for breakfast? Andy and I were thinking of trying to make pancakes."

Puck let out a chuckle. 'Try' being the operative word there. The Berry family were committed to take out, with none of them the least bit proficient in the kitchen.

Rachel was getting better at cooking (Puck had been giving her some pointers), but her Dad's… well they couldn't boil water without burning it.

"Yeah, good luck with that." He teased them, indicating the fire extinguisher hanging ready by the pantry. "You know how to use that right?"

Andy nodded with a faux sad look gracing his features. "Oh yes. The Great Thanksgiving Turkey Debacle of '06." He droned mournfully causing his husband to splutter with laughter.

Puck shook his head, not wanting to know.

"Guys, has Rachel been down yet?"

Andy shook his head no. "I haven't heard her. I thought you two were both still in bed."

Puck scratched his eyebrow nervously. "Yeah, hey about that-"

When he had the attention of both men, Puck launched generally into the events of the evening before and the conversation Rachel had with Kurt that preceded that.

James looked at Andy worriedly and Puck felt his face flaming as he finished his tale.

Walking in on the two men engaging in foreplay? Walk in the park compared to having to tell them their only daughter was engaging in a mild game of "Operation Seduce Puck" in an effort to overcome her anxiety about sex.

Andy sunk onto one of the bar stools and James reached for the phone on the wall. "I'll schedule an appointment with Jackie for today. Rachel clearly needs to talk to someone and in this case, I just don't feel comfortable-" he broke off, striding out of the room with the cordless handset in his grasp.

"I'm sorry Andy." Puck said quietly, setting down the tray of beverages and the bags containing croissants and bagels onto the bench opposite Rachel's dad.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Andy assured him, seeing the look of guilt on the boys face.

Puck leaned his palms against the counter and met Andy's gaze full on.

"I'm not pressuring her into _anything_." He promised. "I know she's not ready for that. That_ we're_ not ready. I would have told her that if she talked to me about it first."

Andy tried to smile at him, but the effort was forced. "I promise you Noah, that James and I aren't upset with you. We have first hand experience with Rachel's steadfast determination, once she's made up her mind about something."

Puck didn't know what else to say so he just nodded, not wanting to prolong the conversation anyway.

He took two coffees out of the tray and left one of the bags of pastries, picking up the other to take up to Rachel.

'I'm just gonna-" he gestured awkwardly to the stairs and Andy nodded.

When he was halfway out the door, he heard Andy call to him.

"Noah, wait!"

Puck turned back to the dark skinned man who had stood up and crossed to stand in front of him, resting his large hands on the youth's shoulders. "I meant what I said." He stressed seriously, pinning him with the sincerity of his gaze. "I'm not upset with you. You have Rachel's best interests at heart, since the moment we met you I haven't doubted that. And I appreciate the fact that you thought to share what happened last night with us, I know it must have been difficult."

He searched Puck's face, seeing the mental exhaustion he felt himself reflected in the younger man's eyes. "I want you to know that you're part of our family now Noah, you're almost like the son we never had. If you need anything- if you need to talk about Rachel, school, your mom, whatever…you can come to us alright?"

Puck dipped his head; trying to clamp down on the emotion welling in the base of his throat. He'd forgotten what it was like to have a Dad, someone who was there for you, to set an example of what it meant to be a good man. James and Andy had slowly begun to fill the void for Puck that his son of a bitch father had left when he'd walked out on their family. Having confirmation from Andy that he was more to them as well, more than just their daughter's boyfriend, caused his breath to hitch painfully in his chest.

_Get your shit together Puckerman._

"Thanks." He said quietly after a minute.

Andy squeezed his shoulders and let him go, watching as the strapping young man headed for the stairs and mounted the steps two at a time, disappearing out of view.

He heard his husband clear his throat and Andy turned to face James who was frowning worriedly in the direction Puck had just gone.

"Is he ok?" he asked in concern and Andy just sighed.

"I don't know James, I just don't know." He confessed tiredly. "I thought things were getting better and then this little issue rears its head. How much added stress can those two handle?"

James didn't have an answer, but then the question was rhetorical anyway.

"Should we go up?" James ventured uncertainly and Andy shook his head, sliding his hand around his husband's waist.

"They know where we are if they need us. Besides, I don't think talking to us about the situation will cause anything other than embarrassment all round. The only person Rachel needs to talk to right now is Noah and I have a feeling he'll be sure to point out how unreasonable it was for her to think she could take that step in their relationship without at least talking it through with him first."

James pursed his lips thoughtfully then cracked a small smile. "With all the rumours that circulate this town about that boy, did you ever imagine a scenario where he would have to activity try and shun our daughter's advances?"

Andy let out a loud guffaw before sobering quickly.

"She's going to be ok eventually, right?" Andy, usually the tower of strength in their family, was seeking reassurance and the vulnerability in his tone had James lean into his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's going to take time." James answered, rubbing his back. "But yes, she has us and Noah and the support of the Glee club. Someday, she'll be just fine."

They lapsed into silence, staring at the stairs that led up to the second level, both of their minds focused on the two teenagers upstairs. The worry would eat them alive if they let it. They just had to lend their support and have faith that Noah was strong enough to continue shouldering the burden of Rachel's attachment, and reliance on him.

They prayed he was.

* * *

When Puck entered her bedroom, he found that Rachel was still sleeping, curled up on her side with her hands balled near her chin.

He set their breakfast gingerly on the bedside table and crawled over the covers to lay on top of the duvet, stretched out beside her.

He cupped her face and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone, feeling the warmth of her flawless skin under his fingertips. Her eyelashes fluttered as she stirred.

"Good morning." She greeted groggily, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

"Morning." He replied easily as she leaned over for a chaste kiss.

Rachel yawned widely and stretched her arm above her head, letting out a satisfied groan when her elbow cracked; it was then she noted his attire.

"You're dressed already? Have you been out somewhere?" She asked curiously, sliding her arm around his middle and burrowing into his body, content to lie there for a while longer.

Puck's arm came around her back and he played with the ends of her hair.

"Yeah, I stopped by that bakery on Main Street you like and got you a wholegrain bagel and a skinny latte."

"Thank you baby." She kissed his jaw and made to sit up and reach for her coffee. He sat up as well, handing her the cup and the bag containing her toasted bagel and a small tub of lite cream cheese.

He waited until she had taken a sip of her coffee before adding, "I also stopped by Kurt's place."

Rachel's eyes flew to him and the events of the night before came rushing back to her. Her hand trembled and he quickly took the cup from her, placing it back on the side table before reaching back to enfold her shaking hand is his.

"It's ok." He placated her soothingly.

"No it's not." She corrected him, as the memory flashed through her mind. Hysteria tinged her voice, "What I did-"

"It's ok Rach." He repeated, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. "It's ok."

"You're not mad at me?" She asked pathetically, bunching his t-shirt in her fist

He chuckled without humour, "You're always asking me that. How can I be mad at _you_?"

He rubbed his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, prying her hand from his shirt and entwining his fingers with hers.

"Why did you go to Kurt's?" She asked after a moment, leaning her head back to look at him.

"I misheard you last night." He admitted, "I thought Kurt said something that made you think you had to have sex with me to keep me around."

Her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh no! You refrained from killing him didn't you? Kurt said no such thing."

Puck took his free hand and pressed his index finger to her lips. "Shhh babe. I didn't kill him, though when I got there I wanted too." His face darkened and Rachel squeezed his hand.

"I'm so sorry Noah." She offered miserably, her chin touching her chest as she looked down, shamefaced.

"Hey." He grasped her chin with a gentle touch and forced her to meet his gaze. "You don't have to apologize to me. I just wish you would talk to me about what's going on in your head, rather than Kurt."

"It wasn't fun for me to have Beyonce be the one to let slip you were struggling to separate your attack with your feelings for me." She shook off his hand to frame his face with both of her tiny hands.

"Oh Noah, that's not it at all. I admit that sometimes when we-" she blushed but resolutely held his gaze, starting again. "If I let my mind wander, I panic. But if I focus on you, and don't let myself forget that it's you that's with me, touching me and igniting those sparks that seem to set my skin on fire, then I-" she cut herself off and pressed her lips to his almost desperately. "I don't want to stop." She finished when she broke away.

"But it scares me Noah." She admitted taking a deep breath. "I know you're not Alex, you're his polar opposite in fact-"

He jerked as though she had slapped him and his face turned a sickly shade of green. Even though she was saying she knew he was nothing like that fucker, the way she said it seemed to insinuate she had to remind herself of that.

"I would never, ever, do anything like that Rach." He said lowly.

Rachel made a sound of annoyance. 'Of course you wouldn't, that's what I'm trying to tell you."

"I'm safer in your arms than anywhere else. _I know_ _you_ and you'd never do anything to hurt me."

"So…" he prompted slowly. "In the heat of the moment, when we're doing stuff, what's going on up there?" He tapped her temple lightly with his finger.

Rachel sighed. "I can't explain it. I'm not actively thinking anything except how alive you make me feel, but then something just triggers my anxiety and I can't help but draw a correlation to what Alex did to me."

"It's not that I question what you'll do when I reach my comfort threshold. I'm sure that any sign of hesitance from me would have you stopping us from going any further, a point you proved last night."

"Tried to prove." He corrected. "Fat load of good that did."

She ignored that comment.

"I thought that by leading us past the kissing and groping stage, I'd feel closer to you."

Puck pulled back in surprise. "You don't feel close to me?" he asked, confused and hurt.

"And what, knowing that it would make you uncomfortable, you went ahead and tried to get both of us off anyway, thinking that being together physically would do the trick? How'd that work out for you Rach?"

He tried to keep the anger from his voice but from the look on her face, he wasn't succeeding. He detangled himself from her in an effort to get some space and sort through that little revelation of hers.

He'd shared more with her than anyone else and up until a minute ago, if anyone had of asked him who knew him better than anyone in the world, it would have been a close tie between Rachel and Finn. The fact that what he had offered of himself didn't seem like enough for her, _well shit_, wasn't that a fucking slap in the face?

"No! That's not what I meant." She insisted, panicked, trying to hold onto his arm as he got to his feet and moved away.

She launched herself after him, darting around his body to cut him off at the door.

"Noah." She implored softly and he groaned at the pleading look on her face, knowing he wasn't going to be able to keep from hearing the rest of her explanation, but wary as to how he'd feel at the end of it.

Rachel kept her distance, recognizing that at that moment he was screaming for some breathing room and though it killed her, she allowed him that one concession, despite the fact she wasn't willing to let him go without making him understand.

"How can you say that? You know practically everything there is to fucking know about me and I think I know all your deep, dark secrets too. After everything we've gone through these last few weeks, hell these last few _months_, what else is there?" He was ranting, and when he snapped his jaw shut testily she spoke.

"It's not that I don't feel close to you emotionally Noah, because I do. What you just said, that's how I feel as well. I _know_ you and I like to believe that I can tell you anything and that you feel comfortable enough talking to me too."

"So what did you mean by closer then? In case you haven't noticed, I've been pretty much glued to your fucking side, 24/7."

"I was under the impression you didn't mind that so much." Rachel said slowly, stung by the irritation is his tone.

"Of course I don't mind." He rolled his eyes, but the statement appeased her suspicion that he was getting sick of her.

Her fingers were itching to touch him and, forgetting her resolution that she wouldn't invade his personal space, she stepped up to him and wound her arms around his waist, relieved when one of his hands came to rest on her hip.

"You're confusing the hell out of me here." He informed her needlessly. "Why didn't you stop last night when I told you to?"

She had a theory but it wasn't fully formed and she knew if she tried to explain it and it came out all jumbled, it would make things worse.

"Because it felt good. Wasn't it good for you too? For a while at least?" She turned her big brown eyes on him and he groaned.

"Of course it was. You're fucking hot as hell babe, and I want as much of you as I can get. But I wasn't prepared for you to take it that far. Sex, or anything close to that is just not on the cards for us. Not anytime soon."

"I'm not suggesting that it is. I'm not ready for sex Noah, but I really think maybe if we attempt to at least-"

He cut her off with another chaste kiss. "No buts. It's not happening. I'm taking whatever it is that you're thinking right now, off the table."

Rachel bit her lip unhappily and he eyed her just as woefully. "Believe me babe, it's hurting me more than it hurts you." He attempted to joke. "But picking at a scab isn't going to get it to heal. I think us fooling around is messing with your head. You need more time."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so tired of hearing everyone say that to me. There has to be something more I can do than just wait around, talking about it and hoping any fear or insecurity just washes away. I want to move past this Noah.

"Rach…" he closed his eyes and kissed her forehead.

"I don't want to think about _him_ when I'm with you. It's not one particular thing that sets of my alarm either. If it was, it would be so much easier to just-" She broke off, shaking her head.

"I know babe."

Rachel stared at the v of his t-shirt, chewing her lip. They were silent for a moment.

"What else I can say Noah? What you want to hear?"

His heart broke at the despondency in her tone and he felt like the biggest asshole on the planet for making her feel like she done something wrong. When he wrapped her tighter in his embrace and pressed his nose into her neck, she felt his silent apology.

"Nothing babe. I'm being a dick. You have no control over these panic attacks. I just can't stand it when you hurt."

They stayed like that for a while, standing with their arms locked around each other, swaying slightly from side to side.

"What now?" She asked softly, speaking into his chest.

"Your Dad is trying to make an appointment for you today to see Jackie." He told her just as quietly and she nodded. That seemed wise.

"Babe, just please-" Puck squeezed her tighter. "Promise me you won't push yourself like you did last night. I know it's hard, but we'll figure it out ok?"

"Ok." She whispered, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyelids and he kissed the top of her head and released her gently.

"Drink your coffee, I'm going to take a shower."

She nodded and watched him retreat to her bathroom. When he was out of sight, she flopped on the bed and reached for her phone. It wasn't that she didn't trust that Noah hadn't in fact killed Kurt, she just wanted to check on how he was doing.

Still, when her friend answered the phone with a chipper: "Darling! You'll never guess what Mercedes just told me!", Rachel smiled in relief.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Puck found himself sitting alongside Rachel in her counsellor's office. Jackie was nice, he had to admit and he was pleased to see that Rachel was genuinely at ease talking to her, but at that moment he'd rather be anywhere else rather than seated on that uncomfortable couch listening to the loud ticking of the clock overhead.

He couldn't quite figure out how he'd been pulled in there in the first place. As he drove Rachel to her appointment, he'd been complaining about the sweltering heat and when she suggested he come in with her and sit in the air conditioned waiting room until she was done, he'd readily agreed.

However, when Jackie had come out of her office to retrieve Rachel's file from the receptionist, Rachel had jumped to her feet and eagerly introduced Puck to the older woman who had almost immediately decided that as long as Rachel had no objections, Puck should sit in on the session.

Of course she'd raised no objections. Rachel fervently hoped that with Jackie asking the probing questions and assisting her in making sense out of her feelings, she could convey to Noah what she'd been trying to explain that morning, in a more cohesive manner. She sensed that he was still upset by their conversation.

Jackie was reading over the notes she had scribbled as Rachel explained the events that had transpired the night before. The room was presently silent, save from the rustling of paper as she turned over a sheet on her legal pad.

"Rachel." The older woman began, "I think we understand the thought process behind your actions last night and can appreciate that hormones make us think we're ready for much more than we can actually handle."

Puck nodded and Rachel inclined her head in agreement.

"What I need you to clear up for me though, is why you jumped so far ahead in the intimacy department. From what I gathered at our last session, you were just getting comfortable with- what do you kids call it? 'Making out'? Why couldn't you explore that for longer? Why did you feel the need to push beyond that so quickly?"

Puck crossed his arms. That was an excellent question. They had been kissing for weeks, but it generally only lasted a minute or so before one or both of them broke it off. Since his court appearance though, they had graduated to full blown make out sessions that only seemed to get longer and hotter as the week progressed.

But as intense as those kisses were, his hands had never strayed anywhere other than her back, her waist or his favourite place- entangled in her hair. Until last night.

Jackie was correct in stating that they had leapt from PG to an almost R rating without warning.

Rachel was fidgeting nervously beside him and when her hand came to rest on the cushion between them, Puck took her hand and squeezed her fingers encouragingly.

He heard her exhale loudly and waited patiently for her to answer.

Jackie had fixed her with a penetrating look that had Rachel shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Rachel?" she ventured gently. "Does your sudden interest in getting more intimate with Noah have anything to do with what we spoke about in our last session?"

Rachel bit her lip, staring straight ahead while Puck looked between her and Jackie in confusion.

"Rachel." Jackie prompted again and Rachel gave her an almost pleading look.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" She asked, darting a quick glance to Puck before averting her gaze. He noticed. He also saw Jackie gazing sideways at him and he crossed his arms defensively. What were they keeping from him?

"No." Jackie conceded, scribbling something else down on her pad. "But Noah's right here Rachel. And I think that he can alleviate some of the fears about your relationship if you share with him what's bothering you."

"What fears? What's wrong with our relationship?" He questioned, narrowing his gaze at the counsellor. As far as he knew, he and Rachel were good. It was everything else that was fucked up.

Jackie stared back unperturbed. "Rachel has a few minor concerns that I've assured her are probably unwarranted. But I think that indirectly, they may have contributed to what happened last night."

Puck turned his body so he was facing his girlfriend. This whole talking through a third person thing was starting to piss him off.

"What's up babe? What are you worried about?" He asked, careful to keep his tone neutral despite his growing irritation with this situation. He was a dude, all this talk about feelings was beginning to make his eye twitch.

"Nothing." She denied automatically and he arched an eyebrow at her profile.

Rachel resumed her fidgeting and Puck's irritation gave way to a growing concern.

Therewas definitely something up.

"Rach, we've been over this. You can tell me anything remember?" he cajoled, playing with her fingers, keeping them occupied so she couldn't pick invisible link off of her skirt.

She was silent for a full minute before turning shining brown eyes in his direction

"Don't be mad." She begged and that questions had the bottom dropping out of his gut. _What now?_ The constant drama in their lives was fucking draining.

"I'm not."

"You will be." Rachel predicted surely, sliding toward him and throwing the leg closest to him over his knees, pulling the hand that was entwined with hers onto her lap.

"I won't" Puck promised, his free hand resting on the expanse of thigh bared as her skirt rode up. "Tell me what you and Jackie talked about during your last session."

He heard the encouraging sound Jackie made opposite them and felt Rachel stiffen, as if she too just realized that there was a third person in the room.

She squeezed his hand lightly. "Please remember that any insecurities I had when I brought this up with Jackie aren't applicable anymore so-"

"Wait," he interjected tipping her chin up. "You're insecure? About me?"

His intent hazel eyes searched hers and she knew that holding it back was only going to do more harm than good. She just had to ensure that he knew she didn't doubt him and that any fears she had were fleeting and had long since been assuaged.

"I was momentarily uncertain." She conceded. "About what was transpiring between us, yes. But bear in mind I wasn't aware at the time that you loved me."

His features had been schooled into a neutral expression, but as his fingers made a sweeping motion over her cheekbone to tuck her hair behind her ear, his eyes softened.

"You were having doubts." He summarised. "What kind of doubts, babe?"

She worried her lower lip between her teeth. "I-." she paused and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to draw on some invisible reserve of strength. She wasn't sure what he would do when he figured out what had bothered her.

When she opened her eyes, it was to shoot Jackie a nasty look. The purpose of having Noah in this session wasn't to discuss this but to reaffirm that exploring the physical side to their relationship wasn't going to prove damaging to her recovery; that a certain amount of panic and uncomfortableness was to be expected.

If he took this the wrong way, it would be bad. Very bad,

"Fleetingly," she began tentatively, " And I must stress that this thought was so transitory, I didn't think to mention it because really it was a tiny, insignificant seed of doubt that you alleviated so quickly I felt it did warrant a discussion and-"

"Rach," he groaned. "You're killing me. Get to the point."

"I don't know how I measure up," She revealed slowly, her voice meek. "Against the other girls- well women really," she corrected herself wryly. "That you've been with."

"I'm not very experienced and I know you are so-" she trailed off, half lifting her shoulder as she looked at him helplessly, waiting for the fallout of her revelation.

He sat quietly, his hand dropping from her thigh as he leant back into the sofa, processing.

"I've kissed two people Noah, you and Finn. I haven't had a boyfriend before and I have no idea what I'm doing half the time. Then I think about what you've done, countless times, and I confess that I feel slightly intimidated by the differences in our respective levels of experience."

"You're doing fine Rach." Puck placated her, "You're one hell of a kisser." He flashed her a leering grin and she blushed prettily.

"Thank you." She accepted softly, "But it terms of our relationship, I feel like we need to talk about your expectations."

He was stunned silent for a few seconds before he found his voice. "My expectations Berry?"

Rachel shrunk back a little. Usually when he addressed her by her surname, it was with warmth and teasing, and lately she'd been only babe or Rach; the way he spat her name then was anything but affectionate.

"My fucking expectations?" he repeated again, heatedly, as he pushed her gently off him and stalked towards the doorway. Before he was even half way there, he turned back, his eyes blazing a rich green.

"Do we need to fucking recap here? You were raped Rachel! Some asshole got you drunk and fucking stole your virginity while you were fucking unconscious." He reminded them needlessly. "You were goddamn _broken_ and when I found out, all I wanted to do was kill that mother fucker with bare hands and not let you out of my sight. Every second since then has been about _you_. Making sure you're ok; that you're eating and sleeping and not lying fucking catatonic in the bottom of the shower."

During his tirade, Jackie had remained silent but as he paused, she attempted to intervene and calm the situation. She opened her mouth and Puck noticed, snarling at her that she'd done enough for the moment and to listen up because he wasn't done.

"Was I suppose to have time during that to sit back and think to myself, 'Hey, here I am putting in the fucking hard yards, playing white knight to your damsel in distress. I wonder how long it's going to take before she gets over it and I have free reign to fuck the gratitude out of her?'"

"Is that what you thought I was sticking around for? Is that what you thought I was _expecting_?"

Rachel was sitting where he left her, tears streaming down her face, and although the sight gnawed at him, he couldn't bring himself to comfort her.

"Are you finished?" Jackie asked mildly, shooting Rachel a concerned look.

Puck exhaled loudly, the fight having gone out of him and his shoulders drooping. "Yeah."

"Good." Jackie said, "Because I think if you had of waited a moment Rachel would have clarified that it wasn't that she thought you were expecting f_rom_ her as much as _of_ her."

He growled his frustration. "What does that even mean?" He demanded tightly.

He turned his intense gaze back to his girlfriend.

Rachel wiped the tears away and stood, walking towards him slowly and coming to stop a foot in front if him.

"Noah, I know you aren't expecting sex, at least not immediately. That's not what this was about. When I said your expectations of our relationship, I meant the _entire_ relationship, not just the physical parts." She emphasized quietly.

He had no idea what was going on here and he voiced as much, "What in the hell are you talking about Rachel? What expectations am I supposed to have?" he grated, annoyed.

Rachel looked at him in mild surprise, her voice stronger when she next spoke. "You're asking me? I told you Noah. You're my first boyfriend. I don't how these things work."

"And I do? Do you think I know the first fucking thing about having a girlfriend?"

'Yes!" she exclaimed, exasperated now. "Haven't we established that you're the one with the experience? I thought you'd let me know what I should be doing, what you like and don't like, because if I'm supposed to just emulate your other relationships I'm doomed! I've been wracking my brain trying to remember how things were with you and Santana but I can't remember the two of you doing anything other than fighting and making out in janitor's closets!"

His eyebrow furrowed as he tried to make sense of that. "Dude, you're going to take a leaf out of Santana's book?"

She threw her hands up, her face going red as she retorted. "Well who else Noah? You've had sex with half of the women in Lima but you've only had one other girlfriend and that was Santana!"

"There must have been something about her that made you agree to be her boyfriend! And it puzzles me because in case you haven't noticed, I'm nothing like her. I don't know what she did, besides sex to get you to date her. So yes, maybe I thought that if I tried to be a little bit more physical-"

Puck tugged on the hem of her tank top, forcing her to step closer.

"THAT's what you were worried about?" He demanded his tone not nearly as angry as it had been a moment ago.

"That you weren't anything like Santana?"

When she didn't answer, Puck threw his head back and laughed.

Both Rachel and Jackie stared at him as he shook with mirth, his amusement a stark contrast to the anger he'd been bristling with only a moment before.

After a few minutes, Puck wiped his streaming eyes and addressed the older woman.

"No offence Doc, But I hope you have another day job, because you really suck at this counselling thing."

Jackie didn't take offence. "You think so?" She asked idly and Puck nodded.

"You must be asking the fucking wrong questions to help her reach _that_ conclusion. I hope your degree is refundable."

Despite her current displeasure with the woman, Rachel chastised Puck for insulting her.

He shrugged, grinning. "Seriously Rach. That's completely whacked. And you bought that shit?" The teasing was back in his tone.

"Babe, Santana may have tried to put the boyfriend label on me, but we were just fucking."

Rachel winced at the mental image and he brushed his thumb over the inside of her wrist. "Outside of the bedroom we had nothing to talk about, could barely stand to be in the same room as each other." Puck assured her.

"Trust me when I say, this thing you and I are doing here?" he gestured between the two of them, "This is completely fucking new territory. I'm clueless to how it's supposed to go but I'm going to play the dutiful boyfriend because I love you & I want to be with you."

"It's new for me too." Rachel reminded him softly. "It's not going to be easy for either of us to navigate this relationship and we're both certain to make some errors, but," she shrugged unsurely. "You've been so wonderful so far, don't you think? I'm a mess and for someone who once claimed they were emotionally retarded, you've done exceptionally well in handling it all."

"Well, you're a hot mess so that helps." He kissed her nose, spanning her waist with his hands. She giggled, feeling lighter already.

"You know I haven't felt this way before, that's why no one else has put a fucking leash on me. It has nothing to do with how spectacular or great in bed Santana was, because she really wasn't."

"I don't particularly need to know how you rate her Noah." Rachel said crisply, her smile dimming as she pushed him away slightly. Puck rolled his eyes.

"No, you just want to know how you rate _against_ her." He corrected, pulling her closer again and wiped away the remnants of her tears.

"It's not a competition Rach and I know what I'm about to say is going to make me sound like a total pussy," his face twisted in disgust, "But you have nothing to be worried about because I don't have anything to compare you to."

'You've either warped my brain or I must be so into you that it just makes the memory of any woman before you either disappear or seem…I dunno, _lacking_ I guess. I'm not going anywhere because I can't imagine wanting to look at anyone else, let alone fuck them."

Her hands were on his face pulling him towards her and he dipped his head to kiss her. When he gave her lips a final sweep with his tongue and pulled back, Rachel was beaming.

Puck figured his words had the desired effect.

"So do you feel better now?" he asked and she nodded, still smiling brilliantly.

"And there's nothing else you're concerned about?" He pressed, running his fingers through her hair.

At his knowing look she sighed.

"I'm still concerned about the sex. I know you aren't expecting it, but how long do you think you can go without it before it becomes an issue for us?"

"Rach I haven't had sex in _months_, you know I haven't." he reminded her and she knew it was true. Since Quinn had given birth to their baby and Rachel and Puck had become friendly, he'd complained bitterly about his dry spell, repetitively.

"I know I'm a fucking stud, but I do have self control. It's not like I _need _to have it." It pained him to say that. There was a time when he thought sex was as essential to him as breathing.

Rachel kissed his chin. "You're right. I shouldn't place so much emphasis on it. In any case, it may not take as long as I anticipate until I'm ready to take that step anyway."

"You're a lunatic." He told her seriously, running his hands over her back. "Were you listening earlier when I told you there was no fucking way I was letting you talk me in to having sex with you, any time in the near future?"

"Well yes. You seemed quite adamant about it."

"That's coz I am babe." He looked away for a moment before focusing back on her. "Look, you and I both know what I've done in the past. My reputation is legendary for a reason-"

"You're bragging." She accused with a faint smile and he merely shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm not going to pretend I don't want sex, that I don't think about it like all the fucking time." He rolled his eyes, "Because that'd be a bigass lie and you're fucking gorgeous. _Of course_ I've imagined you in every possible position I could bend you." He paused, taking delight in her blush as his smirk widened. "And you're pretty friggin flexible so…" he appeared to lose himself in that train of though and Rachel smacked him lightly, flattered yet equally disgusted.

"But it's pretty clear that you've got a long ways to go before we're ready to discuss it, let alone do it and I get that. As I've said, _fucking twice now_, I want to be with you, sex or no sex. So if I have to jack myself off everyday fucking day, then that's what I'll have to do." He kissed her sweetly and she sighed into his mouth resting her palms on his chest.

"I could help you with that." She offered shyly and he groaned, burying his face in her hair.

"Don't tempt me Berry. I said all that stuff was off limits for a while and I mean it." He declared almost sadly and she laughed.

"You said that, but your kisses are still intoxicating." She said coyly. "_You_ might have decided there are things we won't be exploring for a while, but that probably won't stop us from straddling that line as we tend to do in the heat of the moment."

He smirked when she mentioned straddling.

"So you really weren't bull shitting before? You find me so damn irresistible, you just can't help yourself?"

'Yes." She groaned resting her head against his chest. "How many times do _I_ have to repeat myself?"

"I dunno." Puck replied easily, "I like hearing you say it over and over again. It's a fucking turn on."

Rachel laughed and pushed him away and they stood there, grinning at each other.

"Good." Jackie interrupted, scribbling the last of her notes before looking up.

"So Rachel, are you completely convinced that Noah isn't going to hold you up to some imaginary yardstick of sexual perfection and then dump you for someone more experienced?"

Rachel looked at him and smiled. "Yes, I really am." She turned her attention back to her counsellor. "Thank you Jackie." she was saying sincerely. "I suppose I didn't truly realize how ridiculous my fear was or how much that was bothering me until you forced me to address it today."

Jackie got to her feet and flashed a grin that encompassed both teenagers.

"You're welcome Rachel. It's why I get paid the big bucks." Her smile turned sly as she winked at Puck and his own grin faded.

_Holy shit_, perhaps she wasn't such a crock after all. She knew what the core issue was this whole entire time and one well timed question had been all it took to unleash the cascade of discussion he felt he'd only just barely survived.

That entire long winded conversation had been so he knew Rachel wasn't pushing the intimacy issue just because she found him sexy, (tho she just admitted she fucking did) but more because she worried about how she was going to compare to his long list of conquests. He didn't know whether she had a masochistic streak or was just a fucking genius.

"You could have just come right out and said something." Puck grumbled and Jackie laughed.

"Now where's the fun in that? Besides, the complexities of the thought process are fascinating."

_Yeah whatever_, he thought. That sounded pretty gay to him.

When Rachel took a step to follow the counsellor back into the waiting area to book her next appointment, Puck tugged on her shirt, pulling her back and she looked up at him curiously.

"We've had enough fucking drama today to fill a weeks worth of lifetime movies. Can we please do something fun now?" He turned on the puppy dog eyes and the pout his mother had vainly tried to teach him he needed to use for good and not evil.

Her eyes sparkled up at him and she rose on her tip toes to fling her arms around his neck and press her lips to his.

"Yes, please. I'm now in desperate need of some light hearted activity. What did you have in mind?" she inquired, caressing the nape of his neck.

"Dunno, I'll think of something. Let's just schedule your next appointment and get the fuck out of here."

She laughed and gave him another kiss before reaching for her purse. He swatted her behind playfully as she bent over and then took her hand as she straightened, leading her out of the room.

When they reached the door to enter the foyer and she made to pass through it before him, Puck tugged gently on her wrist and Rachel once again turned back, arching her eyebrow in askance.

He pulled her into his body again and kissed her thoroughly, until she was pink and breathless.

"Love you." Puck murmured against her lips as he pecked them again and let her go.

She slid her hand into the back pocket of his jeans and leant into his side, "I love you too, Noah." Rachel replied softly and he smiled down at her, his arm coming around her as they exited the room together.

* * *

_**A/N 2: Since I'm wrapping up this fic, I've started work on the next multi-chaptered fic. The 2 part prequel is called Choices and Consequences- If you haven't read it yet, please check it out! Those first two chapters are a bit of a smut-fest but what I've written beyond that is shaping up pretty well. I hope you like it, let me know!**_


	22. The End

**_A/N:_**_ For the purpose of this chapter you need to embrace that in this universe, Puck is a year older than Rachel and after Summer Vacation he entered his Senior year and she, her Junior. Also, I'm not entirely sure when Universities in the US start sending out letters of offer, but in my world it's April. Go with it…._

_Special thanks to Priti aka knkykty for helping me through a minor freak out last week- your help was greatly appreciated!_

* * *

Puck entered his house via the kitchen entry after a particularly gruelling Friday night football practice, his gym bag slung over his left shoulder.

"Hey Ma." He greeted tiredly as he passed his mother on his way upstairs, looking forward to a long hot shower to help ease the aches in his overworked muscles.

"Noah, wait a moment. You got mail today from Ohio State!" The excitement in Sarah Puckerman's voice was unmistakable and she jumped up from her place at the kitchen table to reach for a large white envelope that had been sitting expectantly beside the telephone.

Puck dropped his bag to the floor with a thud and crossed the room in two strides to snatch the envelope from his mother's grasp, briefly meeting her eyes and seeing the anticipation he was feeling reflected in her gaze.

Taking a deep breath, he tore open the flap and slid the contents into his hand, skimming over the words on the letter that was paper clipped to a wad of documentation and coloured leaflets.

_Dear Mr Puckerman_, the first line read. _Congratulations on your acceptance to Ohio State University for the Fall semester of 2011…_

"I got in." he said faintly, rereading the first paragraph again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, His head rose and he clutched the letter tighter in his hand, a wide grin spreading over his face as he swooped his mother into a one armed hug, whooping, "Ma, I got in!"

Mrs Puckerman was laughing as her son spun her around the room.

"Here," he thrust the letter at her and then stood behind her, reading the letter over her shoulder for a third time.

"Oh Noah, I'm so proud of you!" Sarah exclaimed as she turned to face him and pinched his cheeks affectionately. "I always knew you could do it."

Puck laughed, shaking his head as if he still couldn't believe it. "No you didn't. I didn't believe it myself. But fuck Ma, this is freaking awesome! I thought for sure it would be community college for me, but it looks like Berry riding my ass about homework all these months has finally paid off."

"Rachel has been the best kind of influence on you." His mother agreed, admiring the pictures in the glossy college brochure. "She'll be so excited for you. And thankful as well, I imagine. that Ohio State is only a few hours drive from Lima; you can visit each other on weekends."

Puck nodded in agreement, glancing at his watch and noting the time. "I can't wait to tell Rach. You're right, she's going to frigging lose her shit over this." Puck turned his phone idly over in his hands.

"Are you going to call her? Do you have plans for tonight?" Sarah asked, watching the way her son's eyes glazed over as his thoughts strayed to his girlfriend of over 8 months.

The couple (dubbed Puckleberry by their friends) were still, after all this time, nauseatingly cute.

_Puck's protectiveness over the pint sized brunette was apparent to the rest of the student population from the first day back after summer break, when Dave Karofsky had slushied the girl in the hall right before first period._

_Karofsky had ended up with three broken fingers and a shiner the size of a baseball for his trouble and Puck had been happy to take the three day suspension awarded to him. _

_By lunch that day, everyone knew that Rachel Berry was Noah Puckerman's girl and thus off limits in every sense of the word. The two were practically inseparable, and it was generally accepted that where one was, the other wouldn't be too far away. Rachel usually sat happily on the bleachers doing homework or listening to her iPod during football practices, proudly wearing a jersey emblazoned with the number 20 on game days, while Puck hung around the auditorium as she rehearsed or played chauffeur to the multitude of dance classes and vocal training sessions she undertook. _

_When Rachel joined the local amateur theatre's production of Romeo and Juliet, Puck sat through countless rehearsals and was front and centre on opening night and several Sunday matinees afterwards; though he told himself it was only so he could make sure Romeo didn't get handsy. _

_Needless to say, the entire female population of McKinley were devastated by the news the former bad boy had been tamed and carted off into coupledom. There were a group of particularly disheartened girls who avidly followed the progress of the pair's relationship, fervently wishing for a break-up that would put the swoon worth jock back on the market._

_Bitterly, they had to acknowledge that Rachel Berry wasn't top of their class for no reason; she had somehow managed to ensnare the most sought after senior in their district and wasn't about to let him go. The more astute students seemed to realize that Puck was even less likely to put an end to the relationship, as equally enamoured with the diva as she was with him._

"Yeah we have plans. Andy and James have their monthly wine club gathering tonight so Rach and I are going to spend the night in, watching movies on the big screen." Puck smiled again at his mom. "She's finally agreed to watch all 3 original Star Wars movies; it's going to be epic!"

"How romantic." His mother said sarcastically, with a twinkle in her eye. 'I assume you'll be staying the night at the Berry's then?"

Puck opened the refrigerator, grabbing himself a bottle of water and scanning the contents for a snack he could throw together. "Of course, it's Friday." He reminded her needlessly.

_The sleepovers had ceased towards the end of summer when, after biweekly counselling sessions, Rachel seemed to be completely cured of her separation anxiety and there seemed to be no reason for Puck not to resume living at his own house._

_It had taken some adjusting to, not only for the two teenagers but for Andy and James as well who had grown used to having Puck around. Luckily, his relationship with their daughter meant that he was still a regular fixture around their house and she around his. On weekends Rachel's fathers and Sarah were happy to have them stay together and the two had fallen into the routine of staying at the Berry household on a Friday night and the Puckerman's on a Saturday, enabling the pair to serve as babysitters to Beth while Sarah was working the graveyard shift._

Finding nothing appetizing, Puck slammed the fridge door and stooped to pick up his discarded bag. "I'm going to shower and head over to the Berry's. Do you need anything done around here before I leave?"

Sarah shook her head, smiling at him with affection. "No, but thank you for asking sweetheart."

Puck nodded and flashed another grin before scooping up the literature from the university and heading upstairs.

His mother watched him go with her proud smile still intact. He seemed lighter these days. Happy, more content. That was largely in part to Rachel Berry and the stabilizing influence of her two fathers. She adored the entire family and despite the fact she knew her son would roll his eyes in exasperation if he knew what she was thinking, Sarah couldn't help but acknowledge she just couldn't picture her son's future now without Rachel in it.

Rachel and the handful of talented Jewish babies she could provide.

Sarah rubbed her hands eagerly in anticipation. Those babies would be just_ adorable_.

* * *

Dusk was falling as Puck was leaving his house. He sent a text to let Rachel know he was on his way and barely a minute later his phone beeped with her reply.

_MSG BERRY*: Use you key and come upstairs. See you soon xoxox_

Puck quirked his eyebrow at the oddness of that request but shrugged it off, turning up the volume of the radio and tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel in time to the music as he drove.

Rachel's purple Prius was the only car in the driveway when Puck parked in his designated spot behind her, signalling her fathers were already gone for the evening.

He let himself in as instructed and locked the door behind him, taking the stairs two at a time and calling out to his girlfriend so she wasn't startled by his arrival.

"Hey babe, it's me. You up here?"

"In my room." She called back, her voice muffled by the closed door.

With a courteous knock, Puck pushed open the heavy wood, halting in his tracks.

Dozens of candles were lit and strategically placed around the room, the fading daylight casting long shadows over the walls, while soft jazz played in the background.

A soft thud drew his attention and his head swung around to the direction of the adjoining bathroom.

As he caught sight of her, his mouth ran dry.

Rachel was clad in a satin white robe that stopped mid thigh and was belted at the waist, leaving miles of her smooth, toned legs on display.

Her dark hair was curled at the ends, falling over one shoulder and her face was natural, free of makeup just the way he liked her, though her lips were glossy and painted a soft pink.

The soft candle light in the room bathed her in a golden glow that made the space feel warmer than it was and Puck found himself tugging on the collar of his button down shirt, feeling suddenly flushed.

"R-rach." He croaked, swallowing heavily and trying again. "You look-" _**fucking gorgeous**_ he thought to himself. "_Beautiful_." He finished reverently. "What's the occasion? Did I forget our anniversary again?"

His lips quirked at his little joke. In the 8 months they'd been together, Rachel had pressed 'Happy Anniversary' cards into his hands a total of 12 times.

_**12 fucking times.**_

_The occasions warranting her commemorative display each proved more ridiculous than the last. There were the kind of legitimate ones, like the dates that marked the first, third and sixth month of them being together. Sure he didn't remember them and each time when Rachel looked expectantly at him after handing him the card she had painstakingly picked out, he would shrug sheepishly and resign himself to the fact that he'd have to put up with a whole day of her pouting and proclaiming that his memory was worse than a sieve._

_But then there were the 'Happy-its-been-a-year-since-you-slushied-me anniversaries', or the anniversary of the first time he stopped calling her exclusively Berry and addressed her by her first name. Did that crap really matter? To her, apparently yes._

_He wasn't sure how she expected him of all people to recall with perfect clarity the specific day they had first encountered each other (she wasted no time in informing him it had been in third grade)._

_Those were the times he didn't hesitate to remind her that she was bat shit crazy, because was he like, supposed to be impressed she remembered the colour crayon his 8 year old self had leant over and asked to borrow? No, because that shit was creepy and he didn't mind telling her so._

_Still, it was inevitable really that each time one of these so called 'anniversaries' popped up, regardless of how he felt about them, he usually found himself pulling on a clean shirt and begrudgingly treating her to dinner and a movie of her choice._

_Not because it was less painful than having her bitch at him until the end of time (though this was true) but because it made her happy._

_And when his girl smiled at him like he was the sun orbiting her crazy planet, well shit -what were a few hours of his time and a hundred bucks?_

Still, Puck wondered what could have prompted her to have dressed in that getup, because if she thought he was taking her out to a movie instead of trying to talk her out of that piece of satin, she was sorely mistaken.

She was biting her lip in that adorable way that made him want to cross the room and suck it into his mouth but he refrained, intrigued by the possibilities.

"No, it's not our anniversary." Rachel told him and he mentally gave thanks, because he knew 'The Back-Up Plan' was playing downtown and although Jennifer Lopez was one smoking hot Latina, he knew that would be 120 minutes of his life he'd just never get back.

Locking her gaze on his, she pulled at the tie and let the robe fall open, revealing the delicate camisole and matching lace briefs she wore underneath.

His eyes bugged out of his head as she allowed the robe to drop to the floor and the light framing her from the bathroom behind her confirmed that yes, the material was in fact transparent.

Puck could see the clear outline of her pert breasts and dusky nipples that were already erect and pushing against the filmy fabric.

"Fuck me." He uttered, astonished and a small smile curved her full lips as she slowly walked towards him, her hips swaying tantalizingly from side to side.

"Well actually," she replied shyly, "I was hoping that fucking _me_ would be forefront on tonight's agenda."

He didn't know what shocked him more, the fact that a curse slipped so easily from her mouth or that she was actually implying…what she was implying.

'You want me to-" he swallowed thickly, not taking his eyes off her face as she came to stop in front of him. Rachel threaded her fingers through his belt loop and pulled him towards her, lifting her face up for a kiss.

Puck was so stunned that he didn't have time to submit before she let out a huff and took matters into her own hands, sliding her hands behind his neck to draw him down to her.

He opened his mouth and granted entrance to her probing tongue for only a moment before drawing back and settling his hands at her waist. "Rach, are you saying that you want to like, _do it_? Now? _TONIGHT_?" he emphasized with wide eyes.

She had to stifle a giggle at his adorable dumbfounded expression and she nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck as she rose on her tip toes so their gazes were level. "I do. I want you to make love to me Noah."

"You do?" His gaze narrowed as he looked at her shrewdly. "Are you sure about that Rach? I mean, are you ready? Because just last week we were fooling around and-"

She silenced him with another kiss, caressing the nape of his neck with her fingers while her other hand began to work the buttons on his shirt.

'I've thought about it and I want tonight to be the night." Her voice was no more than a whisper across his lips as she drew back slightly. "You always say that you're mine Noah, well I want to be yours, _completely_. Don't you want that too?"

As she trailed kisses over his jaw, Puck groaned. "You know I do but I'm not sure-"

"I am." She interrupted again, flicking her tongue over his skin as she continued to move her mouth down over his throat. When the last button popped free he pushed the shirt off his shoulders.

To her delight, she found that he had forgone the wife beater he usually wore underneath, so his defined chest and rock hard abdominals were readily on display.

"We're really going to have sex?" He couldn't help but ask again in disbelief.

'Hopefully, _if_ you stop talking. Honestly Noah, I never expected you to be so reluctant." Rachel teased him and he growled at her playfully, shaking out of his mental stupor and pulling her closer.

There was a new boldness in the way she moved her mouth, soft and pliant yet quietly demanding. Puck let her lead as her hands started to wander further. One reached up to entwine in his short hair while the other roamed down his back where it seemed to be mapping the contour of his muscles.

He could do nothing but reciprocate, tracing the line of her spine and skimming over her lower back and around to her hips. There he hesitated. Puck wanted to let his hands slide up her torso to her breasts, but he still wasn't sure that this was real and if that would be welcome, so he waited for another signal.

He got it when her hand inched down to his butt, then used it to pull his groin against hers. He broke off the kiss, nuzzling her forehead against his.

"Noah, please stop thinking." She all but begged, frustrated at his pace, but he shook his head.

"Babe, we have to just slow it down here a second."

Rachel made a sound of impatience and he buried his face in her neck. Puck inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla, thrilling at the feel of her against his body, coming to life and responding to every overture even as he took a deep, calming breath.

"Why? I don't want you to stop." Her voice was much steadier than his and when he met her gaze, he found hers pleading.

Very slowly, he took the hem of her camisole in his hands and lifted it up; his eyes darted between her chest to her face and back again as he tossed the garment carelessly aside.

She was a fucking vision and he found himself reaching for her urgently, claiming her lips once again, this time with bruising intensity. Palming her breast in his hand, his thumb grazed the rigid little pebble atop it and the pulsing between her legs gave way to intense throbbing.

She tore her mouth away from his, panting heavily as she reached over and pulled open the lid of the jewellery box on the dresser beside them, snagging a foil packet and holding it up for his inspection.

His hand closed around her own, gently prying the condom from her grip.

"Are you sure about this Rach?" Puck asked again in concern, even as his hips rolled against hers, eliciting a moan from both of them.

"_Yes_ Noah." She answered breathlessly, for what seemed like the hundredth time, running her now tentative hands over his naked torso. This is where her experience ended and his began. She needed him to take the lead and show her what to do and how they could be together.

Rachel could tell he was still unconvinced by the way his hazel eyes searched her face for any signs of uncertainty.

_**Please, **_her own chocolate depths were imploring, _**I want you so much.**_

He continued to study her intently for another moment before coming to a decision.

Puck tucked the condom in the back pocket of his jeans and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her panties, drawing them slowly down her legs as he squatted in front of her. Rachel rested her hand on his shoulder for balance as she stepped out of the scrap of lace and held her breath as his hands skimmed over the back of her calves and up over her thighs.

He looked up at her and she gazed back, unaware of the vulnerability in her expression as she raked her fingers over his scalp. He rose to his feet and in one swift movement, had hoisted her up with his hands on her ass.

"I'll be careful baby, I promise." Puck vowed, nuzzling her neck while Rachel wrapped her legs around his hips and he carried her across the room.

"I know," she said into his chest as he dipped them and deposited her gently onto the bed. "I trust you."

Puck's pants and boxers disappeared and she vaguely registered him moving to take them off, but was so wrapped up in the nervous expectancy of it all that she barely had time to miss his presence beside her before he returned, his fingers trailing lightly down the flat plane of her stomach.

Their eyes locked and he nipped at her lips, whispering huskily "I love you Rach, more than anything. You know that right?"

She moaned in response and he ground his hardness against her core, his length rubbing deliciously against her folds.

"You're so fucking beautiful baby, so frickin hot." He rasped, pressing against her, warm, solid and heavy as he stole another kiss. "I could stare at you all day."

"Sometime you do." Her laugh was strangled as his hand slipped between their bodies and his index finger teased her entrance, causing her to gasp and arch her back.

"Can you blame me? You're fucking perfect." He found her clit, rubbing against it in circular motions while she whimpered her approval. His fingers were now drenched in her juices and all at once, he stopped stroking and slid two fingers deep into her.

"Noah!" he head tossed against the pillow and her hands grasped at the sheet beneath her, tensing for what she knew was to come. "_Please_." She begged even as he stilled his movements.

"You're ok?" Puck checked, pressing his mouth against her temple.

Her lips parted to blow out an unsteady breath, "Yes, it feels so good." Rachel assured him, meeting his heated gaze and spreading her legs wider, opening herself further to him.

With agonizing slowness, he withdrew his fingers then plunged them back in. Gently, he fucked her with his hand, exploring her depths and the softness of the walls of her inner sanctum.

Rachel felt the tell tale tingling of her approaching release and her breathing became more erratic. She keened quietly, "Soooo close Noah, can you d-do that thing-"

She broke off as Puck knew instinctively what she was asking, curling his fingers inside her and prompting her to trip along on her orgasm, gasping his name.

He smothered her moans with his mouth and settled himself between her legs, resting his weight on his forearms.

_**Oh god. **_

His cock was so big and imposing, nestled against the inside of her thigh and though their progress in the intimacy department had been slow, _painfully_ so at times, she had to remind herself it wasn't the first time she'd seen or felt it

But having Puck in position now, ready to bury his length deep inside her moist heat, had her questioning once again whether when the time came, he was going to fit.

"We don't have to do this" He reminded her, rubbing his thumb over her hip. "Just say the word babe and we'll stop."

Rachel dug her nails into his shoulder as, for a briefest of moments, her heart stopped and the breath caught in her throat. Biting hard on her lip, she tasted copper, unsure whether the restless churning in her gut was out of fear or excitement.

"Look at me," he urged when she didn't answer. She tore her gaze from the spot over his shoulder to meet his eyes, their usual hazel colour now darkened by his arousal to a deep, moss green.

Concern overlaid the flicker of desire she saw there and she could see he was about to change his mind and decide that she wasn't ready for this. Unconsciously she slid her foot up his leg, pressing her calf into his upper thigh. She wanted this, _she did_. If he stopped now she thought she would _die_.

"I want to." She told him again, her voice barely audible to her own ears over the loud thumping of her heart.

"Then there's nothing to be scared of Rach, it's just me." Puck leaned down to brush his nose against hers. "Stay with me, ok? Keep your eyes open and watch."

She nodded slightly. "Kiss me again Noah." Rachel requested quietly, unable to keep her voice from catching. He nudged her again with the tip of his nose before running his tongue soothingly over the lower lip she'd worried, complying.

His kiss was long, tender and achingly sweet. His stroked the inside of her mouth leisurely, taking his time to explore every crevice as if he hadn't already done so a thousand times.

"I don't want to hurt you but it might feel uncomfortable at first," he murmured when they came up for air. "I promise you that it'll pass and it'll start to feel good."

"I already feel amazing," She claimed softly and his familiar smirk made a fleeting appearance.

"Babe, you aint seen nothing yet."

She inhaled sharply as he shifted; entering her slowly, inch by inch, with a gentleness that brought tears to her eyes.

_**Yes.**_

It seemed to take forever for him to fill her and she expected pain or at the very least, a mild discomfort, but there was nothing except a strange sense of completeness.

Until he moved.

"Breathe Rach," Puck murmured into her ear, forcing himself to still until she adjusted around him even though his own body was demanding he withdraw and thrust back into her, hard and fast.

"Don't forget to breathe." His own breath was hot against her neck and she didn't think she'd ever be able to forget the sensation as it tickled her skin and made her shiver.

"I am, just…g-give me a minute." Rachel requested shakily, closing her eyes tightly for a split second before opening them again and refocusing on the face hovering above her.

Puck slid his hand underneath her head and cupped the back of her neck with one large hand. He was giving her a look she'd never seen before and somehow she knew that she was seeing him as he really was. Gone was the sarcastic sense of humour and the wall of bravado that he usually carried around with him.

All she could see was lust, concern and….love. His eyes were ablaze with it and as his thumb brushed her cheek, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

_**Now.**_

"I'm ready." She whispered and he nodded, dragging his lips over her collarbone. He drew himself gently outward, only to sink back inside her, a move he repeated over and over until his movements seemed to sync with the rhythm of her gasps.

"So good." Puck was moaning above her, his own eyes rolling back in his head as he struggled to keep his thrusts even. "So fucking tight."

It was everything she had wanted it to be, yet nothing like she had imagined. There was only her and Noah and it felt like he was in every pore of her being; a world of heat and slick sensation that drove her clear out of her mind.

He'd reminded her to breathe, but she'd forgotten how. There wasn't room in her body for air anyway, not with him there. As it was, she didn't need oxygen, she only needed him and everything was alright.

"Noah…._oh_…Noah!" She cried, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist as he hit that spot. She rose her hips up to meet him on his next thrust. "Oh my god_, yes!_"

His hand was kneading her breast and his mouth had closed over her nipple when she came suddenly, without warning. And as the building sensation in her belly crested, Noah's name was on her lips again, loud and clear and definite.

He wanted it to last longer, but it had been just too damn long. The intenseness of her heat around him and the internal spasms of her pussy milking his cock, saw him follow soon after.

Her name poured from his mouth in a guttural groan. "Rachel…_fuck!_ L-l-love you."

He plunged into her for a final time and her fingernails dug into his buttocks, desperate to hold on to him for just a moment longer.

Puck collapsed on top of her with an outward gust of air that blew the mussed waves of hair from her sweaty neck. Inside of her, the last few contractions of his satisfaction were echoed by her own body.

"You okay?" His lips were against her hair and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak quite yet. The only sound in the room was the ragged music of their breathing.

He began to pull out but she held on to him tighter, her legs locked around his waist preventing him from moving more than an inch. "Please don't, not yet." She begged, her eyes fluttering shut as she relished in the warmth of his skin, slick against her own. Rachel felt him kiss her forehead and smooth away the hair from her face, trailing his index finger down her nose, over her cheek and across her lips.

Eyes still closed, she nipped his wandering digit with her teeth and felt his chuckle as he gripped her thigh.

"I'm sorry baby, but you gotta let me get rid of the condom."

He slid out of her slowly, her moan of disappointment making his gut flip. Crossing to her bathroom he took care of his business in record time, at that moment not wanting to be away from her for longer than he had too.

Rachel opened her eyes when she felt the mattress dip as he returned to her.

"Hi." The dimple in her chin made an appearance and he grinned back.

"Hey yourself." He leaned down for a kiss and wrapped her up against him as he rolled onto his back. She giggled as he found herself lying fully on top of him, her breasts squished against his chest and his spent cock nestled in between her thighs.

She felt him twitch and harden and shook her head with an incredulous smile.

Not so spent then.

She met his gaze and he grinned unabashed.

"I'm a dude, you're my girl." He justified simply "And you're smoking hot." He added with a wink and she laughed, settling against him and sighing in contentment when his hands automatically began to trace large circles over her skin.

"You sure you're ok, babe?" he asked quietly, all signs of amusement gone from his tone and Rachel lifted her head so she could look at him.

"Never better." came her soft reply.

Puck nodded and she settled back against him and stifled a yawn.

"How long until we can do it again?" She asked drowsily, raking her nails up and down his side.

"Two minutes of you keep that up." He retorted and felt her smile against his shoulder.

"That sounds wonderful." Rachel murmured and he chuckled, his hands tightening on her waist for a moment before resuming their gentle caresses. "Rest now babe, you're going to need your energy."

"Alright." she agreed tiredly, her eyes falling shut of their own accord. "Love you Noah."

He kissed the top of her head and heard her breathing even out as she drifted off. "Love you too Baby."

* * *

When Rachel blinked the sleep out of her eyes the next morning, she found herself nose to nose with a wide awake Noah Puckerman who seemed to have been staring at her in besotted fascination.

He leaned in to kiss her before she even had the chance to wish him a good morning.

"You're in a good mood." She noted.

"Hmm I wonder why." He quirked his eyebrow, his hazel eyes dancing with amusement. Her forehead crinkled as she pretended to think.

"I'm sure I have no idea." She demurred, running her foot along his calf and then wincing as she felt her muscles protest at her movement.

Immediately Puck's smile dropped and his hand that had been resting warmly on her hip, wandered lower, seeking the tightness that was cause for her discomfort.

"Sore?" He asked needlessly and she flashing him a small smile as she tentatively stretched her legs. "A little. That's normal though I'm told."

He nodded "It's normal, especially since you ignored my warning and overexerted yourself."

Rachel's narrowed her gaze at him. 'Excuse me? Who woke whom up for round two?" She reminded him and he grinned smugly.

"Hey, I did all the work that time and I was happy to go back to sleep but no, you had to start straight onto round three."

She rolled her eyes, "You weren't complaining at the time if I recall."

"I'm not complaining now." He replied, kissing her eyelids as they fluttered shut. "Fuck, do you know how long I've had the image of you riding my cock like that in my fucking spank bank? Now I've experienced the real thing I can die one happy, son of a bitch."

Her eyes flew open and she smacked his shoulder in indignation. "You are so vulgar."

"You're sexy." He countered, rolling her over onto her back and pressing her into the mattress, kissing her thoroughly. Puck felt her nipples harden and rub against his chest as his arousal pressed into her stomach.

"How bout I run you a bath?" He offered when he pulled back, pecking her lips once more as if he just couldn't help himself.

"Now?" Rachel asked in disbelief, consulting her clock. 'It's 8am."

He shrugged, "So? It'll help. You'll feel better."

She skimmed her hand down his side and slipped it between their bodies, stroking his erection. 'What about this?" She blinked innocently at him and he groaned thrusting himself into her hand before rolling away reluctantly.

"He'll keep. He's had lot's of practice these last few months." Puck kissed her again and then pushed the covers off of his body. Rachel put a restraining hand on his arm and waited until he turned to look down at her.

"I'm sorry that you had to wait so long." She offered quietly, biting her lip.

He dropped back down on his elbow, his eyes soft as he gazed at her. Her dark hair was spread over the pillow, her checks flushed pink from the warmth of the comforter and his shared body heat.

"I've told you before Rach, you don't ever have to apologize to me, not about that. I would have waited a hell of a lot longer for you."

Rachel considered him for a long moment. "I know. It's just that, now that we've done it I can't imagine what I was afraid of. It was perfect. _Thank you_ Noah." She paused. "I'm so glad my first time was with you. Maybe not technically but-""

His eyes flashed now, almost possessively and he caught her lips in another kiss. "I was your first Rach" He repeated firmly. "Don't you ever forget that. In all the ways that matter, I was first."

"I won't." She blinked back tears, not wanting to put a dampener on their morning. She smiled, giving him a little push. "You said something to me about a bath?"

He studied her intently for a minute before nodding, moving away and padding naked to the bathroom. Rachel listened as he ran the bath water and rummaged through the cupboards underneath the vanity, presumably for the bath salts he knew she liked.

A few minutes later, she heard the taps turn off and he reappeared, apparently completely at ease with his nudity and her gawking, as he made no attempt to cover himself or his raging hard on from sight.

He pulled back the covers, exposing her body to his gaze as he paused to admire the view. She squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny, much to his amusement. "It's a little too late to be embarrassed." Puck told her, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her bridal style to the bathroom. She buried her hot cheeks in his shoulder as he stepped over the threshold and across to the tub.

Rachel knew he was right. He'd inspected every inch of her body last night, ran his tongue over her skin and kissed the most private parts of her. To feel exposed to him now, due simply to her lack of clothing, seemed ridiculous.

He lowered her into the bath and knelt beside the tub as she got comfortable, his fingers swirling through the milky foam that sat upon the surface of the water. Rachel accepted the pony tail holder Puck passed to her and swept her hair into a messy bun that cushioned her neck against the porcelain rim as she lay back.

She sighed in contentment and rolled her head towards him, peeking at him from beneath her lashes as he reached both hands into the water.

Puck nudged her thighs apart and rubbed soothingly against the spot high up that was causing her the most discomfort. When his fingers strayed mischievously, her breath caught and he smirked before returning his attention to his task. Starting on the inside of her leg near her knee and gradually roaming higher, he firmly kneaded the muscles with just the right amount of pressure.

She moaned as his fingers worked their magic.

"You're good at this." She praised, asking thoughtlessly, "Have you had lots of practice?"

Her eyes flew open as she registered what she was asking. Puck caught her reaction and didn't call her on it. They never talked in detail about any of his past exploits; she'd heard about most of them anyway since, previous to his relationship with her, he'd taken great pleasure in bragging about his conquests to his team mates who had in turn spread the stories throughout the school.

"No." he answered simply, "Just thought it would help."

"It has."

After repeating the process with the other leg, Puck withdrew his hands and rested his forearms against the rim of the tub as he contemplated her.

Rachel reached out her own hand towards him, lacing their fingers together.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked self consciously, trying to interpret his expression.

Puck shrugged. "Just wondering how I got so lucky." He answered frankly, lifting their joined hands up to his mouth so he could kiss her knuckles.

Rachel smiled softly at him, squeezing his fingers and tugging him towards her.

He took the hint and leant over to kiss her properly.

"Do you think there's room for one more in this tub?" she queried against his lips, her brown eyes sparkling.

"I thought you'd never fucking ask." He replied. "Scoot up."

* * *

They headed down for breakfast close to 10 o'clock, greeting her fathers who were sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

Andy exchanged a glance with his husband as they watched Puck and Rachel move around the kitchen, fixing themselves fruit salad and cereal (for her) and a massive bowl of captain crunch and several pieces of thick buttery toast (for him).

The two had always been demonstrably physical, but that morning it seemed that neither was able to let the other reach past or have their bodies brush against each other without them pausing to exchange soft kisses.

Their was a new intimacy in their interaction that had Andy and James averting their gaze, feeling as if they were intruding on something private and sacred. And, if either man had any doubt about what had transpired the night before (which they didn't because Rachel's bedroom was decidedly NOT soundproofed), their daughter's actions that morning would have confirmed it.

When they settled at the table across from where the older men sat, Puck's arm slung casually over the back of her seat while Rachel's hand rested high on his thigh as they both attacked their food with gusto, like they hadn't eaten in months.

"So Noah." James ventured, "I hear congratulations are in order."

Puck choked on a mouth full of cereal and cast a sidelong glance at Rachel.

Seriously? James was going to give him props for boning his daughter?

"Ah thanks?" he replied unsurely.

Andy seemed to understand exactly Puck was thinking because he blanched. "No, Lord no." he protested, making a face and Puck couldn't help but laugh.

Rachel and James looked between the two of them in confusion and Andy hastened to correct Puck's assumption.

"We ran into your mother at the market this morning and she told us your good news."

Puck's eyes widened. Oh shit. He'd got so caught up last night in…well, _Rachel_, that he'd forgotten to tell his girlfriend about the letter from Ohio State.

'What good news?" Rachel asked, immediately suspicious as she saw Puck try and covertly signal at her father to zip his mouth.

James, who was oblivious to Puck's rising panic continued. "Noah's acceptance into OSU of course, what else?"

Rachel's spoon dropped with a clatter as she turned to stare at her boyfriend.

"You've started receiving your college offers already?" She demanded immediately.

"Just the one. Ohio State." He confirmed, bracing himself for the squeal.

He wasn't disappointed.

Rachel launched herself into his lap, almost knocking the both of them off his chair as she peppered his face with kisses.

"Noah I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed happily, squeezing him tight before pulling back to slap his chest in indignation.

"I can't believe you kept this from me. How long have you known?"

"Shit babe, that hurt." He complained rubbing the spot she had hit. "I just found out yesterday and I was going to tell you last night but you-"

Rachel slapped her hand over his mouth. "Do not finish that sentence." She warned, feeling his grin against her palm.

"This is so wonderful. I can't wait to do research and help you decide where you'll go away to college." She enthused, her eyes glazing over as she imagined the poster boards she could chart with pro/con lists for each possible location.

Puck was looking at her like she had lost her mind.

"I don't need to do anymore research, I've already decided to accept the offer. I'm going to Ohio State next year." He told her firmly.

She pouted, he took away all her fun.

"But Noah, your future is at stake here. You can't just throw it away on the first college to offer you a placement. You owe it to yourself to consider all of the options available to you. This decision will set the course of your life for the next four years and you really ought to-"

"I have considered my options." He interrupted, seeing that she was gearing up for a long winded lecture. "I chose to apply to OSU because they have a reciprocal agreement with The City University of New York. If I keep up a B+ average in my classes I can transfer there for my second year."

Rachel was just staring at him, her mouth opening and closing as she interpreted what he was telling her.

"You want to move to New York?" She questioned, surprised.

He toyed with the ends of her hair, weaving the strands through his fingers. "I do if you get into Julliard, which you will."

James and Andy made cooing noises from across the table and Puck shot them a look.

He turned his attention back to the girl in his lap who was looking at him in absolute adoration.

"You've really thought this through haven't you?" Rachel wondered, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. "You made this decision based on me? On us?"

When he nodded in confirmation she looked away for a split second before refocusing on his face. "Noah, that's ridiculous." She stated flatly, even though he could see the hope blooming in her eyes. "We're in high school and you're going to map the next four years of your life on the supposition that we'll still be together? What if we break up? You'll be starting a whole new chapter, meeting people, broadening your horizons…"

Her father's both started laughing as she trailed off and the two teenagers turned to them, surprised.

"I'm sorry," James apologized, "But sweetheart, think of all the obstacles you've faced and had to overcome since your attack last year. You two have stuck together throughout all of it and come out all the stronger for it. I just don't see that changing anytime soon."

Rachel bit her lip. "I don't either." She admitted. "I suppose it's just a little daunting to realize that you've thought that far ahead and I factor so prominently in your plans."

He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "Babe, my future didn't look so crash hot until you came into the picture. You're the only reason there's a fucking letter with the Ohio State logo sitting on my goddamn desk. I love you crazy girl. I want to be where you are."

She melted at the sincerity in his gaze and glanced quickly at her father's who were pretending they weren't eavesdropping but were actually hanging on his every word.

James took the hint and got to his feet, signalling Andy to follow suit. "Your father and I thought we'd go antiquing today so we'll head off and give you two love birds some privacy to talk or,' he smirked and arched an eyebrow, "whatever it is you kids do these days."

Andy groaned, not wanting to think about what would be going on in their house during their absence. He clapped Puck on his shoulder and kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"We'll be back around 5." He advised, as more of a warning than anything, hoping they'd take the initiative to set an alarm or something, determined to avoid having

to confront that fact that his only daughter was now so obviously having sex.

Puck and Rachel chorused their goodbyes and when her fathers had left the room she responded to her boyfriend's sweet, yet utterly Noah declaration.

"I love you too Noah." She replied quietly pressing her lips against his. "And I want to be where you are as well."

He grinned and arched his eyebrow, hugging her to his chest before standing suddenly and tipping her off his lap.

Rachel stared at him in askance as he started to walk backwards and beckoned her to follow, his trademark smirk in place.

"Right now, where I'm going to be is upstairs, naked. You coming?"

She smiled shyly and followed, lacing her fingers in his as she caught up with him in a few steps.

The nervous fluttering in her stomach was back but this time around Rachel welcomed the feeling, secure in the knowledge that when he touched her body and brought her to the heights of pleasure, she'd be thinking of nothing else but him.

And then they lived (mostly) happily ever after…

_**

* * *

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_**A/N 2:**__ Thank you so much to everyone that has taken the time to subscribe, read and review. This was my very first attempt at fanfic writing and I adore you for your support and encouragement._

_A special shout out goes to my gl-itter pals who indulge and encourage my obsession with Mark Salling & all things Puckleberry. I'm proud to be a Slut 4 Salling!_

_Also, to the most faithful reviewer on ff (dot) net, __**sweetcaroline1986**__: I've looked forward to your comments each and every chapter and can't tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you take the time to share your thoughts, not only on my fic, but on the dozens and dozens of others that I've read & noticed you've reviewed as well!_

_Authors thrive on feedback and encouragement and you never disappoint. We only wish there were more readers like you!_


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